Their Love in Fifty Words
by Hikari Kaitou
Summary: KxF oneshots. Challenge 43: Anxiety. Kyle has managed to locate his wayward slave and is planning his attack. Meanwhile, Kurogane gets elfin Fai to tell him his story.
1. Game

**A/N:** Hey everyone, remember me? It's been a while, huh? So I decided to do one of those challenge thingies, although I made the list up myself rather than getting it from some fanfic challenge journal. I selected fifty words at random, trying to have at least one for each letter of the alphabet, out of my dictionary and put them down on a list. Of course, if the word was completely unusable (like xylem, for example) I threw it out but for the most part, I tried to stick with what I got. And here is the result… I hope you like how the first one turned out more than I do. Our first word is "game". I meant for it to be more lighthearted and silly but then those two loveable idiots named Kurogane and Fai came and did a massive poop of SERIOUS right in the middle of my word document. Jerks.

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**Game**

The sight of that stupid miniature black cat grinning up at him from his cereal bowl made Kurogane want to smack a bitch. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and counted to ten in his head, desperately trying to rein in his temper; that stupid, bastardly wizard was obviously the one behind this. The temper-control thing wasn't working. With each number that he counted to Kurogane thought of another painful and distinctly unpleasant thing that he wanted to do to Fai the next time they met. Not only that, but taking this pause only allowed time for his anger to crescendo, building up like a tidal wave in his chest.

Meanwhile, Sakura and Syaoran, who were sitting across the breakfast table from the ninja, looked on in dismay as Kurogane, who was so wrapped up in his rage that he wasn't paying attention to his own actions, continued to tip his cereal box, the place from whence the source of his fury had tumbled, and spill cereal all over the table. The two of them traded nervous glances, engaging in a silent but by now well-rehearsed conversation with their eyes. "_Shall we run?_" "_Yes, I think we'd better._" Nearly tripping over their own chairs in their haste the younger travelers made a desperate escape just in time to avoid the explosion.

"DAMMIT, YOU USELESS MAGICIAN!! GET YOUR SCRAWNY ASS IN HERE SO I CAN KICK IT!!"

A few seconds later Fai bounded into the kitchen, the smile on his face suggesting that he had been promised an ice cream cone rather than a beating.

"You called, Kuropin?" he asked cheerfully.

"Don't you smirk at me, you skinny little shit!" Kurogane spat. "What did I tell you about hiding this damn thing in my stuff, huh?!" He held up the offending toy cat in a shaking fist.

Fai giggled shyly. "And what did I tell _you_ about it, Kurochii?"

"Mokona remembers!" the white creature chirped from its perch on Fai's shoulder. "Fai said that it was to remind Kurogane that Fai loves him!"

"Very good, Mokona!" Fai gushed joyfully. "You're so smart!"

Ever since Fai had come across the little cat toy in a knick-knack shop two worlds ago he had made it a game to hide it somewhere new for Kurogane to find each day. His explanation for it was that when the warrior found it he would be reminded of his own Big Kitty and how much he loved him. Fai had also bought a matching miniature toy dog from the same shop so that Kurogane could hide it for him, which, of course, Kurogane had flatly refused to do. The dog sat untouched in the inner pocket of the swordsman's cloak (although he refused to participate in Fai's stupid games, for some odd reason Kurogane couldn't bring himself to get rid of the toy).

Fai, however, seemed completely undeterred by Kurogane's lack of cooperation and tenaciously hid the cat for him every day. And every day upon finding the cat Kurogane tenaciously made a huge show of his irritation and usually ended up chasing the blond around for a while, brandishing his sword and hurling an impressive array of threats at him. But today Kurogane was even angrier about finding the toy than usual. While Fai wasn't completely sure about the reason for this he suspected that it had something to do with the fact that yesterday's hiding spot had been taped to the inside of Kurogane's boxers, something that the ninja had failed to notice until he already had them on (not that Fai had been secretly watching him get dressed or anything).

"I don't care!" Kurogane snapped. "I already said that I don't need your damn love!"

"Don't be silly, Kurotan," Fai said lightly. "Everyone needs love; even big mean doggies."

"Like hell I do," he growled. "Here's what I think of your stupid 'love' shit."

He snatched the toy cat from his bowl and tossed it over Fai's head where it landed neatly in the garbage. "I don't need love from anyone, especially not an annoying bastard like you!"

The mage was silent, his copious blond bangs hiding his eyes from view. Kurogane was immediately overcome by a crushing sensation of guilt, especially when he saw, if only for a fraction of a second, Fai's lips tremble as though he was going to cry. The swordsman was terrified; he hadn't meant to make him cry.

"Poor Fai!" Mokona cried, nuzzling the magician sympathetically. "That was a terrible thing to say, Kurogane!"

"Tch. Like I care," Kurogane grumbled. For lack of anything better to do, he began to clean up the cereal that he had spilled on the table. Fai turned around and left the kitchen without a word, Mokona chattering comforting words in his ear.

* * *

The mood around the house for the rest of the day was awkward and noticeably depressed. Fai, who was usually brimming with energy, sat by himself and gazed at the floor as his mind wallowed in his emotional torment. Of course, when Mokona or one of the children would direct a question at him, he would quickly look up and answer with a smile like he usually did, but once he had given his reply he would return to his previous state of dispair.

Kurogane too tried to act as though nothing had happened but wasn't all that much more convincing than Fai. Not long after their fight, the ninja had developed an odd sort of stomach ache that refused to leave him alone. It was different from anything he had ever experienced before but he simply wrote it off as his body's reaction to this world's strange diet. Sakura got worried and upset when she entered the kitchen to find him dumping two pink little indigestion pills into his hand.

"Are you ok, Kurogane san?" she asked concernedly. "Do you feel sick?"

"Hmph…It's not a big deal," he grumbled, rolling his eyes. He hated it when people worried about him, especially when he wasn't in any real trouble. "Just the milk I put on my cereal this morning…I didn't drink milk back home so I'm not used to it."

"Are you sure?" she persisted. "Maybe you should lie down…"

"I said it's not a big deal. Just a little stomach ache…" Kurogane swallowed the pills, blushing slightly at her fussing over him.

"Ok…" Sakura said hesitantly, still looking unconvinced. "But please, Kurogane san, don't strain yourself."

Mokona joined the swordsman in the kitchen as well just as Sakura was leaving it.

"Mokona wants to talk to Kurogane," Mokona said seriously, it's usual mischievous grin nowhere to be seen.

Kurogane snorted. "Well, I don't want to talk to you."

"It's about Fai," Mokona continued.

There was a brief silence between them before Kurogane let out a sigh from between clenched teeth. "What do you want?"

"Let's talk in Kurogane's room," the white creature suggested. "Mokona doesn't think Fai would like it if Fai heard what we were talking about…"

As much as Kurogane hated to admit it, that last statement made him curious to hear what the white manjuu had to say. He picked it up and set it on his shoulder before slipping inconspicuously upstairs to his room. Once the door was safely shut behind him, Kurogane folded his arms and glared down at Mokona who had hopped off of his shoulder and landed on the bed.

"Kurogane… really hurt Fai when Kurogane said all those mean things this morning," Mokona said, its frown somewhat accusatory.

The warrior rolled his eyes. "I already told you, I don't care about that."

The white rabbit-like thing shook its head sadly. "Even though Fai smiles all the time, Fai's heart is really fragile. He's been lonely for a really long time, only being with Sakura and Syaoran and Kurogane makes Fai feel a little bit better. But when Kurogane is mean to him it hurts Fai way more than it would hurt anyone else."

Kurogane shrugged. "So the guy's a wimp. He needs to toughen up."

"Mokona thinks that it hurts Kurogane when Kurogane is mean to Fai, too."

"…Don't be stupid, Manjuu. Why the hell would it hurt me?"

"Kurogane has had a tummy ache ever since the fight with Fai, hasn't he?"

Kurogane stared, his eyes slightly widened with surprise. "And just what the hell would _you_ know about it?"

"One of Mokona's 108 secret skills is being able to tell when people are lonely," Mokona explained. "When Kurogane and Fai aren't getting along, Mokona can tell that it makes Kurogane lonelier too. That's why Kurogane's tummy has been hurting."

The ninja thought about this. The very idea seemed completely absurd but when he examined that sick feeling that he'd been having in the pit of his stomach, a part of him realized that what Mokona said was true. Kurogane let out a frustrated snarled and put his face in his hands, hardly able to believe that he was letting himself get so worked up over something so stupid.

"What do think I should do then, if you're so damn smart?" he growled.

Mokona's usual grin returned. "Mokona thinks that maybe Kurogane and Fai need to finish their game."

Kurogane stared at Mokona, completely lost. "Huh?"

"It's Kurogane's move," the white creature said.

It took another moment but eventually Kurogane caught on. He sighed reluctantly; he knew what he had to do.

* * *

Fai excused himself from the presence of his companions early that night and retired to his room, unable to handle the tension any longer. Even though he had done practically nothing that day but mope around, Fai felt exhausted. But his fatigue was spiritual rather than physical. Maybe it had been stupid of him to insist on playing the cat-hiding game with Kurogane, after all. He flopped down on his bed, facedown, but rolled over when he felt something small and slightly hard and uneven between his chest and the mattress. It took a little bit of digging around in the covers but finally he was able to unearth the culprit. When he was finally able to figure out what it was, despite the dimness of the room, he felt his breath catch in his chest and his face break into the first smile he had worn all day. There, sitting in his hand, were the miniature toy cat and dog, tied together with a piece of red string, their lips joined in a kiss.

* * *

**A/N:** So there it is. I thought this was a pretty clever idea until I realized that I'd already done almost exactly the same thing for one of my other fics. But maybe if I don't say anything, no one will notice. No, wait…shit. Wow, good job, idiot. Anyway, the next challenge word is "reticence". Stay tuned. 


	2. Reticence

**A/N:** So I spent about a day or two trying to figure out what to do for the prompt of "reticence" without adhering to the usual "Fai is keeping secrets from everyone" lameness, which, of course, would just be taking the easy way out. The idea I ended up using actually came to me in a dream. I don't really remember anything about what happened in the dream; the only thing I'm still sure of was that it took place in a courtroom, hence the setting of this fic. Unfortunately, I can't remember exactly how a hearing is conducted, plus some parts weren't added in order to save time so if I leave something out or get it wrong please forgive me.

For those who aren't familiar with the word "reticence", allow me to define it for you as it is found in the Oxford Pocket American Dictionary of Current English: "Reticence /retisens/ n. **1** the avoidance of saying all one knows or feels, or of saying more than is necessary. **2** a disposition to silence. **3** the act or instance of holding back some fact. **4 **abstinence from overemphasis in art." Ok, now that we know what the word means, on with the fic! **WARNING: THIS FIC CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR CH. 153-164!!

* * *

**

**Reticence**

_Silence, Kurogane_, the gym teacher reminded himself. _Don't volunteer anything that they don't ask for directly. Answer their questions with as little information as possible. These bastards don't have any solid evidence to pin this on you. As long as you keep your mouth shut, they can't prove that you had anything to do with this. Silence…_

Kurogane was having a somewhat difficult time following his own advice, especially with the prosecutor glaring at him like that. The prosecutor in question was obviously doing its best to look intimidating but when you're black, furry, roughly the size and shape of a football and have long rabbit-like ears intimidating is a very difficult look to pull off. If Kurogane had possessed any less control over himself he wouldn't have been able to suppress the snort of laughter that was rising in his throat, or abstain from running up to that ridiculous-looking thing and giving it a good, hard punt. Even with the degree of control he had resisting these urges was tough.

When Kurogane thought about it, he supposed he wasn't really in any position to laugh considering who he himself had for a lawyer. He sighed and shook his head in disbelief. Upon finding out that Kurogane was going to be tried for murder Fai had insisted that Kurogane hire someone to defend him. Ignoring the protests of the accused, Fai had done a little research and taken it upon himself to hire who he claimed to be the best lawyer the country had to offer.

Kurogane was more than a little skeptical; his defense attorney looked exactly like the prosecutor except that it was white with a red jewel on its forehead rather than black with a blue jewel. He wouldn't be at all surprised if he found out that his defense attorney and the prosecutor were actually conspiring against him, the sneaky little bastards. Speaking of sneaky bastards, someone managed to creep up behind Kurogane without him noticing and touched him on the shoulder, startling him out of his reverie. He turned his head to see who had dared disturb him and found himself nose-to-nose with a certain blond chemistry teacher.

"You dumb ass!" Kurogane hissed through clenched teeth, scooting his chair as close as he could to the table in front of him so he wouldn't be so close to Fai. "I thought I told you not to come! You'll probably say something stupid that will get me sentenced to life in prison!"

"But I couldn't just let Kuropuu sensei go to court all by himself with nobody to cheer him on or hold his hand if he gets scared!" Fai grinned, leaning over the wooden railing that separated them so that he could rub noses affectionately with his co-worker.

"Cut that out!" Kurogane growled, waving him away irritably as he willed himself not to blush. "Everyone knows that you and that Ashura guy were close until I got hired! I'm just gonna look even more suspicious if you go around acting like you're my boy toy bitch all of a sudden!"

"Alright, alright, I guess I can save all my hugs and kisses until after the hearing," Fai sighed reluctantly.

"Keep 'em! I sure as hell don't want 'em!" the gym teacher sputtered.

"Hmm? Are you sure?" Fai asked teasingly. "You wanted them pretty badly last night…did Kurochii change his mind?"

Kurogane was just about to snap back at him when the bailiff addressed the court in a loud, carrying voice. "All rise for the honorable Judge Ichihara, presiding."

The judge entered the courtroom dramatically by throwing the door open and gliding in gracefully. She wore a scandalously low-cut black robe with a V-shaped neck and white lace around the collar and hems of her sleeves. The rest of the people in the room were dead silent, seemingly overwhelmed by either her presence or her more-than-sufficient bust that was peeking out of her robes. Kurogane, however, was not impressed, though he was quite shocked to see her.

"Huh?! What the hell are _you_ doing here?!" he demanded, pointing at her accusingly. "How can you be a principal _and_ a judge?! You kidnapped the real judge didn't you, you bitch?!"

"That's enough, Mr. Kurogane," she said smoothly, wearing that infuriating little smile of hers. "You will respect my position as judge or I shall hold you in contempt."

With a great amount of effort, Kurogane forced himself to sit and bite his tongue though he couldn't quell the tremors of rage that shook his body. That woman was always screwing with his head. With her as judge, there was no way he was getting out of here without a good, long sentence, not even if someone else stood up and confessed to the crime and offered a video tape as proof.

Judge Ichihara cleared her throat to get the attention of the bailiff, then nodded pointedly in Kurogane's direction.

"You will remain standing, Mr. Kurogane, until Judge Ichihara is seated," the bailiff said sternly.

Kurogane gave a derisive snort. "Like hell I will."

"You're not doing anything to help the outcome of your case by disrespecting the judge, I'll have you know," Yuuko said smugly. "Stand, or I shall throw this case out and you'll simply be taken to jail without a trial."

Snarling, Kurogane got to his feet and Yuuko chose that exact moment to sit down. The gym teacher stared at her in disbelief.

"This is no time for you to be screwing around, witch!" he snapped.

"Sit down, Mr. Kurogane. If I have to repeat myself, I shall have to hold you in contempt," she said, smirking as she looked over her glasses at him.

Kurogane bitterly dropped back into his chair. Fai leaned over the railing again to whisper in his ear.

"I think you made a friend, Kurorin sensei."

"Shut up," he growled.

The bailiff began to speak again. "Kurogane… Kurogane…" he stopped and frowned as he scanned his sheet. "Hmm… there doesn't seem to be a last name here."

"Tch. Pathetic," Kurogane sneered. "How the hell is it possible to bring a guy to court without even knowing his damn name?"

"Spare us your critique of the country's justice system and tell the court your last name, Mr. Kurogane," Yuuko said.

"Whatever. I don't care," Kurogane sighed. "The last name is—"

Fai stood up behind him so suddenly that the gym teacher nearly wet his pants. "If I may speak on the accused person's behalf, Your Honor?" he asked politely, with a slight bow to Yuuko.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Kurogane demanded incredulously.

"You may proceed," Yuuko said, smiling pleasantly back at the chemistry teacher.

"I would like to inform the court that Kurotan sensei is so manly that he needs only one name," Fai announced.

"Under any other circumstance I would consider that claim insufficient, but I shall accept it here because I trust in Fai sensei's…" Yuuko's eyes flashed mischievously in Kurogane's direction and a similar smile played about her lips, "expert opinion in the matter."

Kurogane's face turned beet red and he jumped to his feet again. "J-JUST WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN, YOU CRAZY BITCH?!" he shrieked indignantly.

"You will address me as 'Your Honor', Mr. Kurogane, if you wish for this trial to continue any further," Yuuko replied calmly. "And I'm sure you don't actually want me to explain to the court exactly what I meant by that statement."

Gritting his teeth so hard that he probably could have crushed a bullet between them, Kurogane forced himself once again to sit down, his face still burning brightly.

Fai leaned forward. "You're welcome, Kurochii sensei," he whispered cheerfully.

"Bite me," his co-worker snapped.

"Not now, Kurorin, you naughty boy!" Fai giggled. "At least wait until we get home!"

"You may continue with the reading of the charges, bailiff," Yuuko interrupted before Kurogane could turn all the way around to tear Fai's head off.

"Kurogane, you are charged with murder in the first degree of Ashura…"

Fai jumped up again. "He doesn't have a last name either!"

"Thank you, Fai sensei," Yuuko said. "Continue."

"How do you plea?"

"Not guilty," he growled.

There was some muttering from the audience and jury at that statement. Yuuko sighed. "Very well, Mr. Kurogane. Although I'm sure that claim is 100 percent bullshit, we shall now proceed with the opening statements. Mokona Black, if you would, please?"

The prosecutor hopped over to where the jury was seated, cleared its throat and began to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury…" it began dramatically. "Would you all look at that guy over there? Just look at him. He's a pretty scary looking guy, right?"

The people of the jury nodded and muttered their agreement. Kurogane glared at them all and they quickly averted their eyes.

"He's a big, mean, vicious doggy and he's the one that killed Ashura. Thank you."

"HAAH?! WHAT THE HELL?! YOU CALL THAT AN OPENING STATEMENT?!" Kurogane shouted, jumping to his feet again, his hands curled tightly into fists. His defense attorney, Mokona White, reached up and tugged on his sleeve to get his attention.

"Kurogane should leave the talking to Mokona, ok? Mokona is a professional."

"Tch," Kurogane said dubiously.

"Thank you, Mokona Black," Yuuko said pleasantly. "Mokona White, your opening statement?"

Kurogane's defense attorney now approached the jury. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Mokona thinks that Kurogane is innocent. Thank you."

"THIS IS BULLSHIT!!" Kurogane shrieked. "YOUR OPENING STATEMENT WAS EVEN WORSE THAN THE BLACK MANJUU'S!!"

"Thank you, Mokona White," Yuuko interrupted. The defense attorney smirked at the prosecutor as it passed, causing the prosecutor to frown and fold its stubby little arms.

"Mokona shouldn't be so happy already," the prosecutor warned. "The trial isn't over yet; Mokona can still make a comeback."

"Mokona White, you may call your first witness to the stand."

"Mokona calls Syaoran to the stand!" Kurogane's defense attorney squeaked.

Syaoran got up from his seat in the audience and nervously approached the witness box.

"Does Syaoran promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" Mokona asked.

"I do," Syaoran replied breathlessly.

Kurogane glared at the boy; that kid better not screw up.

"How does Syaoran know Kurogane?" Mokona asked casually.

"H-he's my gym teacher," Syaoran stammered.

"What about Ashura?"

"I think Ashura sensei was a world history teacher but I never had him, so…"

"Did Syaoran ever see Ashura and Kurogane talk to each other?"

"Er… well, one time I heard Ashura sensei ask Kurogane sensei what time a staff meeting was, but other than that…"

"No further questions, Yuuko," Mokona said.

"Very well. Mokona Black, you are free to cross examine the witness," Yuuko prompted.

The prosecutor approached the witness, a wicked-looking smile on its furry little face. Syaoran looked uncertain as to whether he should be fearful or amused.

"…Did Syaoran ever notice any other teachers who talked to Ashura a lot?" it asked.

"Um…Well, like I said before, I didn't have Ashura sensei as a teacher but I did notice that he and Fai sensei seemed to be pretty good friends for a while."

"Did something happen between Fai and Ashura that made Syaoran think that they weren't friends anymore?"

"Well, when…" Syaoran hesitated, and looked nervously in Kurogane's direction.

Kurogane intensified his glare, his eyes clearly saying "if you say what I think you're about to say, I will personally devour all your appendages". The boy swallowed hard, a drop of sweat sliding down from his hairline to drip off his chin.

Yuuko looked between Syaoran and Kurogane and frowned. "Just ignore him, Syaoran." Then she grinned in Kurogane's direction. "I won't let the bad dog hurt you. You may continue."

"Why, you whorish…" Kurogane snarled, quaking with fury.

"I…I noticed that after Kurogane sensei was hired that Fai sensei and Ashura sensei didn't seem to talk to each other as much any more…" Syaoran mumbled, staring determinedly at his knees.

"Did Syaoran see any special connection between Fai and Kurogane?"

"Fai sensei followed Kurogane sensei around a lot…and sat in during some of Kurogane sensei's classes…and always called him strange nicknames and sometimes even made lunch for him…" Syaoran stopped there but it was clear that he had more to say: his face was on burning and his breathing was quick and shallow. The prosecutor seemed to pick up on this as well.

"Is there something else that Syaoran wants to say? Remember that Syaoran _did_ promise to tell the whole truth."

"…Ah…Um…One…one day, I stayed after at school because I… wanted to ask Fai sensei a question about my chemistry test and…I went to his classroom and…and…"

"And what?"

"F-Fai sensei and Kurogane sensei were…they were…k-k-kissing!"

The whole courtroom began to buzz at this statement. Fai laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head, a slight blush coloring his cheeks. Kurogane was curled up in a fetal position under his chair, his face in his hands, his head on fire. Fai crouched down, pulled a twig from somewhere inside his sleeve and began to poke joyfully at the gym teacher's blazing cranium.

"Order! Order!" Yuuko called, banging her gavel, though she herself looked rather amused as well.

"Did Syaoran take a picture?" the prosecutor asked gleefully.

Syaoran's head shot up in horror at the suggestion. "N-No! I…I ran! I ran away from there as fast as I could! I…I would never…!"

"Ok, ok, Mokona understands," the prosecutor nodded sorrowfully. Then it grinned. "Show it to Mokona later, ok?"

"B-but I…!"

"Did Syaoran see any reaction from Ashura to Fai not spending as much time with him?"

"Ashura sensei seemed…distant. Kind of like he didn't care about his job anymore. But I might be wrong since I never had him as a teacher," Syaoran repeated.

"Hmm, Mokona has no further questions, Yuuko."

"Thank you, Syaoran. You may return to your seat," Yuuko said kindly.

Syaoran stumbled back to his place in the audience, taking the path that was as far away from Kurogane as possible.

"Mokona White, could you extinguish your client, please?" Yuuko requested. "The witness's testimony seems to have caused him to spontaneously combust with embarrassment."

Mokona reached into its mouth and pulled out a bucket of water which it dumped over Kurogane's head, putting out the fire with a loud hiss and lots of white steam.

"Thank you," the judge said stoically. "Now, Mokona White, you may call your next witness."

"Mokona chooses…" Kurogane's defense attorney rubbed its chin thoughtfully as if trying to pick someone at random from the crowd, "Kobato!"

Kurogane frowned as Mokona shouted the name, trying to remember if this person was anyone he knew. He turned to look at the girl as she stood up from her place in the audience and approached the witness box. She looked decidedly unfamiliar. The gym teacher's scarlet eyes narrowed as he studied her, trying to discern whether she would be of any help to his case. He didn't think she was a student; Kurogane was the only gym teacher at Horitsuba Academy which meant that everyone had him for a teacher. He considered himself to be pretty observant and was pretty sure he knew all his students at least by sight.

Kurogane glanced over his shoulder at Fai to see if there was any hint of recognition in his eyes but the chemistry teacher's face was blank. He turned his attention back to Kobato just in time to see her trip and fall flat on her face. Kurogane felt like banging his head on the table; if that clueless kid and this airheaded ditz were the best defenses that Mokona could pull out then he was definitely screwed. He rubbed at his wrists, almost swearing that he could already feel the shackles locked around them. Giggling sheepishly, Kobato got to her feet again and continued towards the stand. Once she had herself situated in the chair, Kurogane's defense attorney commenced with the questions.

"Does Kobato promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"

"Ok!" she agreed cheerfully.

"How does Kobato know Kurogane?" Mokona asked.

"Hmm…" Kobato leaned forward in her seat and studied Kurogane's face carefully. "I don't think I know him at all."

"I see…" Mokona nodded slowly. "What about Ashura? Does Kobato know Ashura?"

"Ashura?" Kobato repeated curiously. Then she shook her head. "I don't think I know anyone by that name either."

Mokona threw the jury a significant look. "Did the jury people hear that? Kobato doesn't know Kurogane _or_ Ashura."

The people of the jury nodded thoughtfully and began to mutter to each other. Kobato watched them, looking politely puzzled. The prosecutor looked angry and frustrated. Kurogane studied these reactions in disbelief before raising his voice in objection yet again.

"If that girl doesn't know me _or_ that Ashura guy then why the hell did you call her up there, stupid manjuu?!"

Mokona turned around to stare at Kurogane, its mouth open in shock. When it realized that he honestly didn't understand the value of this valuable witness, it sighed and shook its head as though it was being forced to explain something extremely obvious to a very slow child.

"Kurogane is such a simple person," Mokona lamented. "Mokona doesn't know how Kurogane ever managed to become a teacher… Yuuko must have felt sorry for Kurogane."

"HAAH?! WHAT WAS THAT, MANJUU?!" Kurogane snapped. Mokona turned its back on him.

"No further questions, Yuuko."

"YOU'RE NOT TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY, YOU HAIRY LITTLE SHIT!!" the gym teacher spat. "DON'T YOU REALIZE THAT IF I LOSE THIS CASE, I'LL BE IN JAIL FOR THE REST OF MY FREAKING LIFE?!"

"Do you have any other witnesses, Mokona White?" Yuuko asked calmly, ignoring Kurogane.

"Mokona has no more witnesses," Kurogane's defense attorney replied.

"Very well; Mokona Black, you may call your first witness."

The prosecutor took a deep breath before approaching the witness box.

"For Mokona's first witness, Mokona calls… Ashura!"

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Kurogane roared, slamming his hands down on the table. "HOW THE HELL CAN YOU CALL A DEAD GUY AS YOUR WITNESS?!"

Even before Kurogane had finished this question, two men in black suits entered the courtroom through the same door Yuuko had used at the beginning of the trial, carrying a coffin between them. They propped it up against the wall in the witness box and retreated.

"That's cheating, Mokona!" Kurogane's defense attorney squeaked. "Mokona can't ask Ashura! That's cheating!"

"I'm afraid you are mistaken, Mokona White," Yuuko said. "Mokona Black may call whoever it chooses as a witness, just as you could."

The prosecutor smirked at the white Mokona smugly before turning back to the witness.

"Does Ashura promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"

There was a single knock from inside the coffin.

"Huh?" Kurogane growled, frowning suspiciously as he watched the motionless coffin.

"One knock means yes, two knocks means no," the prosecutor clarified. "Now, is it true that Ashura was a world history teacher at Horitsuba Academy?"

There was one knock in response.

"Was Ashura good friends with Fai until Kurogane came along?"

Another single knock.

"Was Ashura jealous of Kurogane when Fai started spending time with him instead?"

Another single knock.

"Did Ashura ever see Kurogane and Fai being all lovey-dovey?"

Another single knock.

"I object!" Kurogane shouted, his face burning as he pointed an accusing finger at the coffin.

"Kurogane objects!" the white Mokona echoed.

"Shut up!" he snapped at his attorney. "The black manjuu probably has someone else in there answering the questions the way he wants them to!"

"Overruled," Yuuko said easily, clearly taking joy in doing so. "Continue, Mokona Black."

"Did Kurogane kill Ashura?" the prosecutor demanded.

There was no response. The black Mokona frowned. "Is Ashura dead or is Ashura just thinking?"

Still there was no response. The prosecutor pressed its ear to the coffin lid then shook its head sadly. "Ashura is dead for good this time."

"Hmm, how disappointing," Yuuko frowned. "And we were so close to having this all cleared up, too… Alright, Mokona Black, you may call your next witness."

"Mokona's next witness will be Fai!" the prosecutor chirped.

"Hmm? Me?" the chemistry teacher asked, looking mildly surprised. He stood up and began to edge his way out toward the aisle but the voice of someone else in the crowd stopped him.

"Or perhaps you meant me?"

The chemistry teacher's eyes widened a fraction more and he spun around to see where the voice had come from. Kurogane couldn't resist turning around either but when he did, he was overcome with a sudden and violent urge to be sick. There, mere feet behind his co-worker, was a second Fai who, aside from the clothing, looked to be an exact replica of the Fai he knew.

"Oh god… there are two of you?" he moaned, lowering his head into his hands. "Somebody kill me."

"Trust me, Mr. Black," the second Fai said seriously, "that doesn't solve your problems as neatly as you might think."

"Ah, Fai…" the first Fai said with a nervous grin, making desperate hand gestures to shut up his twin.

"Why don't we have both of you come up here?" Yuuko suggested, not looking the least bit surprised.

Both Fai's approached the witness stand, looked hesitantly at each other, then sat simultaneously in the single chair, each taking up half of the seat.

"Does Fai…er, Fais… promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" the black Mokona asked.

"Yes," the second Fai said decisively with a cheerful smile.

"Um…ok," the first Fai said, a bit more nervously and considerably less decisively, though his grin never wavered either.

"Why don't you tell the court your names, just to make things a bit less confusing?" Yuuko prompted with a smile.

"I'm Fai," the second Fai said.

"I'm…Yuui," the chemistry teacher said.

"Wait…What?" Kurogane demanded, narrowing his eyes at the two blonds suspiciously.

"How does Fai know Kurogane?" the prosecutor interrupted.

"Well, Yuui would never bring him home and let me meet him, so …I don't know him." He looked up at Kurogane and grinned mischievously. "But I'd like to."

At that comment, Kurogane slammed his head on the table in front of him so hard that he actually took a chunk out of it.

"Ah, Kuropuu…!" Yuui gasped, holding out his hand as if to touch the gym teacher's now bruised forehead.

"What? Was it something I said?" Fai asked innocently.

"Does Fai know Ashura?" the prosecutor continued, unconcerned.

"Yes, actually I…Ouch!" Fai stopped mid-sentence when his twin pinched his arm warningly. "You meany! What was that for?"

"Hmm? I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Yuui replied, his smile looking very forced now.

"Fai and Yuui are under oath so they have to tell everything they know," the prosecutor reminded them sternly.

Fai and Yuui looked at each other with pained expressions.

"I'm sorry, Yuui… I have to…" Fai said apologetically.

"I know; I deserve it completely, but…" Yuui tapped his foot nervously, compulsively. "Please, at least try not to…"

"I will," Fai agreed.

"And if you do have to, do you think you could…maybe…?" He winced, knowing that what he was implicitly asking was a far bigger favor than what he had any right to request.

"You don't mean…" Fai looked horrified.

"Please? This one's really, really important to me," Yuui begged.

Fai looked pained again. The rest of the people in the courtroom, Kurogane included, watched this exchange in bewilderment, wondering just what in the hell was going on here.

"If you do it…I'll let you have a taste later," Yuui promised, though he looked as though this exchange was costing him a great deal of resolve. Fai's eyebrow perked up in disbelief and he glanced interestedly in Kurogane's direction.

"Ok…" he sighed. "I'll do it."

"W-WAIT!!" Kurogane stammered. "A TASTE OF WHAT, EXACTLY?!"

"I know Ashura because…" Fai began.

"HEY!! DON'T YOU DARE IGNORE ME, YOU BASTARDS!!" Kurogane shouted. "I'M NOT GONNA BE PART OF YOUR DAMN AGREEMENTS!!"

"I spent a year in his freezer," the blond finished resignedly.

"In Ashura's freezer?" the black Mokona said. "Why?"

"Well…" He hesitated again, choosing his words carefully. "I have a…rather unusual condition which causes my skin to… do weird things if I'm not kept properly refrigerated."

The room lapsed into a confused silence as spectators tried to process what Fai had just said.

"Condition?" the prosecutor echoed. "What condition?"

"…I'm dead," Fai said.

"Dead?" the prosecutor repeated dumbly. "But… Fai doesn't look dead."

"No, it's true. I'm stone dead," the blond insisted. "If you don't believe me, come touch my hand."

Mokona extended a black paw hesitantly and touched Fai's hand.

"It's freezing!" it gasped. "And…and wet."

"Sorry about that," Fai said, grinning apologetically. "I'm starting to thaw, I'm afraid. But if you pull hard enough on my hand, it would probably snap right off. If you're going to test that claim though, I'd prefer it if you'd just try one of my fingers; I'm rather fond of my hands, you see."

Mokona grabbed Fai's left pinky and pulled and, true to his word, it snapped off with a nasty crackling sound. Several people in the audience and jury fainted.

"How…how did Fai die?" the prosecutor asked distantly, still staring in disbelief at the detached finger between its paws.

Fai glanced sadly over at Yuui, and then sighed deeply. "Yuui…killed me."

Everyone in the room who hadn't passed out stared at Yuui in shock. Yuui laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

"My, _this_ is awkward," he grinned.

"Hold on… you _what_?!" Kurogane sputtered.

"Yuui…killed Fai?" the black Mokona asked slowly.

The blond twins got up from their seat and Yuui began to move towards the opening of the witness box.

"Yes, I'm afraid so," Fai said as he climbed up on the railing that surrounded the witness box to make sure that everyone in the courtroom could see him. "And now, Yuui, seeing as how I had no choice but to let the cat out of the bag, if you'll push the button..."

Fai lifted his shirt and Yuui poked his bellybutton. That was the only warning that everyone else had before Fai exploded. As the room filled with smoke and Fai flakes rained down from the ceiling, Yuui made a mad dash for Kurogane.

"Let's run, ok, Kurosama?" he suggested as he grabbed the stunned gym teacher's hand and half dragged him from the confusion of the courtroom.

* * *

Kurogane sat bolt upright, covered in cold sweat, his breathing fast and shallow. The room was dark so it took him a few moments for him to figure out where he was. Slowly it came back to him that he was in the hotel room that he, Syaoran, Sakura, Mokona and Fai had checked into earlier the previous day. The ninja clutched at his heart and allowed his breath to slow back down to normal. What a weird, creepy dream. He wondered if perhaps he shouldn't have eaten so much pizza right before bed. A sudden stirring beside him in the bed kicked his heart rate back into overdrive. Fai sat up and rubbed his eyes sleepily.

"Wassamatter, Kurochuu?" he mumbled. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Kurogane backed away from him so quickly that he fell off the edge of the bed.

Fai giggled and crawled over to look down at the swordsman who was sprawled on the floor in a tangle of blankets. "Calm down, Kurowanwan! It was only a dream!"

When Kurogane didn't get back into bed, Fai slid down onto the floor and knelt beside him, leaning down to softly kiss his lips and stroke his cheek reassuringly. "It's ok, Daddy; Mommy won't let the bad monsters get you."

Kurogane sighed. The magician was right; it was only a dream. He scooped Fai up and deposited him back on the bed before lying down next to him once more. The blond wrapped his arms around his companion's shoulders and gave him another kiss as he closed his eyes again.

Now that he had calmed down, Kurogane was pretty ashamed of himself for being so rattled by a ridiculous dream like that. For one thing, neither of them were teachers and for another thing, the mere idea of there being two Fais was utterly ridiculous. Two Fais…pfft, yeah right. And maybe there two Syaorans, too. Feeling much better, Kurogane nuzzled his face into Fai's silky blond hair and went back to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: **Phew, it's over… that was a bitch to write. Not sure what I think about it but I'm glad it's over. The next prompt is "class". Stay tuned! 


	3. Class

**A/N: **Right, so…here I am again. It's funny; I feel almost obligated to say something here but, at the moment nothing comes to mind. Not that anyone cares about my senseless jabbering anyway. I'm not quite sure how well my idea for this oneshot fits the prompt but this is the story that came to my mind when I was trying to think of something for this challenge so I guess we'll just have to see how it turns out. Just to clarify, the bits in italics are flashbacks.

* * *

**Class**

Fai locked up the door to his shop and leaned up against it, sighing his exhaustion. The white steam of his breath on the cold night air would have clouded his vision momentarily had his eyes not been closed. He knew that he should be happy; after all, it was almost Christmas and his store always did exceptionally well during this time of year. Ironically, however, it was always during this season that he felt the emptiest and most disappointed. Perhaps it was the expectation that people would be kinder to each other at Christmas that always caused him to be so let down when he opened his doors in the morning and watched as his customers pushed and shoved and wrestled and snapped at each other in their attempt to snatch the most popular toys on his shelves for themselves.

And yet as he rang up their purchases, his smile plastered flawlessly on his face despite their impatience and sometimes downright cruelty, he couldn't help but envy them. The fact that they were here buying toys from him meant that they had someone special in their lives to give the toys to. Fai had no family; they were all dead. And the fear that someone would ask about his family's fate kept him from making friends.

He watched his feet distractedly as they crunched through the snow. It wasn't entirely true to say that he had no friends. There was this guy who started hanging around his shop about six or seven months ago. Since his store wasn't especially busy during the rest of the year, Fai had figured, once he realized that the guy seemed to have no intention of going anywhere anytime soon, he might as well try talking to him.

The blond allowed himself a small sardonic smile; "talk at him" was more what he did. His "friend" never seemed especially eager to converse with him. Aside from the fact that his name was Kurogane, Fai knew almost nothing about him. Kurogane, for his part, spent more time cussing him out and snapping at him to shut up than anything else. Fai might have been more acquiescent to his friend's requests if he wasn't so much fun to tease. He always got so angry when Fai called him silly nicknames or joked that Kurogane was mean to him. But Fai could sense almost from the start, even through the taller man's gruffness and quick temper, that there was a sweet and almost shy nature about him. Perhaps that was why Fai was so drawn to him.

He checked to make sure that the way was clear before crossing the street. The thing about Kurogane that puzzled him the most was why he even decided to start spending his time at a toy shop in the first place. Kurogane was clearly not the type to be interested in toys and since he was always angry at Fai, he couldn't imagine that he was there simply to enjoy the pleasure of his company. At first it had really bothered him but after a while he decided that he was so glad to have someone to talk to when business was slow that he didn't really care anymore.

Even so, he still couldn't help but wonder sometimes. Aside from the fact that Kurogane was not the type to be interested in toys, it seemed pretty clear to Fai that even if it were the toys he was interested in, he couldn't have afforded one anyway. Kurogane's clothes weren't in the best of shape and the first few times that Fai offered him food, although he would always refuse it at first, he gobbled it down hungrily as though he hadn't had a proper meal in days. To tell the truth, Fai was a bit concerned by it so he made it a habit to make a big enough lunch for the two of them to share.

* * *

"_I don't need your damn charity," Kurogane mumbled embarrassedly._

_Fai's eyes widened in feigned innocence. "Who said anything about charity? I just made a little too much food, that's all."_

_Kurogane grudgingly accepted then, although he claimed it was only because he hated it when people were wasteful. Fai watched out of the corner of his eye as his friend devoured the food. It made him happy to see someone enjoy his cooking so much. _

"_Do you like it, Kuromin?"_

"_It's not completely disgusting," he admitted. Then he looked up at Fai, his brow furrowed in irritation. "But I thought I told you to stop calling me those stupid names."_

"_Tell you what," Fai said, grinning. "I'll call you by your name when you call me by mine."_

"_Tch. Why the hell would I wanna do that?" Kurogane growled._

"'_Kuropin' it is, then," the blond smirked._

"_Bastard," he grumbled, taking another bite of the bread Fai had given him._

_There was a moment of silence between them as they continued to eat. Fai didn't like silence when he was with another person. Whenever there was silence between him and Kurogane, he felt as though his friend's sharp red eyes were analyzing him. That was the last thing Fai wanted: to be analyzed. In a desperate need to fill the quietness, Fai asked Kurogane the first question that popped into his head._

"_Why do you spend so much time here, Kurochii?"_

_Kurogane tensed visibly but Fai continued in spite of himself. He had been wondering for quite a while and now that he had started, he couldn't seem to stop the next question from tumbling out of his mouth as well. "Don't you have a job that you have to go to?"_

_Kurogane glared at him for a moment. "None of your damn business," he snarled eventually, though he seemed to be refusing to meet Fai's eyes as he said this._

_Fai immediately felt guilty, realizing that he had committed a rather serious and (in his case) ironic faux pas. After all, wasn't his deepest fear when interacting with others that they would pry into his personal matters?_

"_I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you, Kurotan…I just wondered if perhaps you… wanted to work for me?" the blond offered in an effort to redeem himself._

_Kurogane's head snapped up at this question and he stared at Fai for a moment as if unsure whether he was serious. When the dark-haired man realized that he had been staring, he quickly looked away but didn't reply, seemingly having some sort of painful internal conflict. After a long while, just when Fai had started to think that he wasn't going to be getting an answer, Kurogane finally replied._

"…_Fine."_

_Fai looked at him, his surprise increasing when he noticed the slight blush on his friend's cheeks. The blond smiled, genuinely glad that the other man had accepted his offer._

"_Yay! I'm so happy!" he cheered, clapping his hands. "You can start tomorrow, ok, Kurokuro?"_

"_Whatever."_

"_And I expect you to call me 'Boss', ok?"_

"_LIKE HELL I WILL!!"

* * *

_

Fai smiled to himself at the memory as he left the shopping district and entered the more residential part of town. He wasn't sure why employing Kurogane had made him feel so good; it just had. Somehow they seemed to become a little closer after that, though nothing had really changed between them aside from the fact that Kurogane now helped with the work rather than simply watching Fai do it by himself all the time. The dark-haired man had complained a bit about the uniform (black dress pants, a bright, cherry red shirt and a green carpenter's apron) but Fai noticed that he took very good care of it, always changing out of it as soon as he was finished with his shift and folding it neatly in his tattered bag.

Of course, having Kurogane as an employee in such a place had its drawbacks; for one, while Fai certainly didn't see him as intimidating, it seemed that the customers did. They always kept a decent ways away from him and made sure to come to Fai if they had questions about any of the toys. Kurogane seemed to scare the children too. The younger ones would sometimes start to cry when they saw him.

This posed something of a problem, until Fai came up with the idea to have Kurogane carry lollipops in the front pocket of his apron to give the children when they entered the store. Kurogane needed quite a bit of persuading in order to be talked into this but eventually he caved in, though he claimed it was only because he was annoyed by the crying.

Whenever Kurogane would give a child one of the lollipops, Fai made sure to reach up and pat his head and tell the children "See, he's a nice doggy. He looks scary but he won't bite." This always earned him a glare from Kurogane, but it did the trick as far as helping the children warm up to him. But apparently not all of his customers were afraid of Kurogane. Fai remembered one day in particular when a group of four young teenage girls came into his shop…

* * *

_Fai looked up from the display he was arranging when the bells above the door jingled to announce the arrival of a customer. Four young teenage girls entered, their eyes glittering in delight at the playful, inviting atmosphere of the toy store. When he cheerfully greeted them, the girls giggled and shyly returned the greeting. Kurogane, of course, said nothing in response to their arrival. _

"_See, Kuromyuu? This is what I mean when I say we need to work on your people skills," Fai scolded lightly, poking his employee's shoulder playfully. "When a customer comes in, you're supposed to say hello!"_

"_What for?" he growled. "You said it already."_

"_This is why people are afraid of you, Kuropii! Because you're rude! Now say hello or I'll make you put dresses on the dollies again," the blond smirked. "I seem to remember that being your favorite job."_

_Kurogane snarled at his boss and gritted his teeth. "Hello…"_

_The girls, who had been watching their whole exchange, were practically beside themselves with joy at this._

"_Look, you bastard! They're laughing!" Kurogane snapped._

_Fai started to laugh too. "Now, now, girls; please don't laugh at Kurokuro," he reprimanded jokingly. "Even though he seems mean, he's actually pretty shy."_

"_I'M NOT SHY!!" Kurogane insisted, his hands balling into fists._

_The girls, still giggling, disappeared amongst the shelves and left the two of them to their argument. Fai wasn't surprised when he saw them head for the build-it-yourself teddy bear section; those were always popular with teenage girls. Although they all examined the choices of teddy bear patterns carefully, Fai noticed them throwing frequent furtive glances at him and Kurogane. When they saw Fai or Kurogane look in their direction, they would blush and go back to sifting through the teddy bear kits. Finally, they all made their decisions, paid and left the shop. Once they were gone, Fai sighed contentedly._

"_Girls sure are cute, aren't they, Kuropiko?" he gushed. "And they all bought teddy bear kits! That surprised me! They seem too young to have boyfriends already, don't you think?"_

_Kurogane frowned. "What does buying one of those things have to do with having a boyfriend?"_

"_Hmm? Kurowanko doesn't know about it?" Fai marveled. "The idea is that you put the bear together yourself, putting a slip of paper with your name on it into the stuffing before you sew it shut. Then you tie a ribbon around its neck and give it as a present to the person you love. If that person chooses to name the bear after you, it means that you two will be together forever. Isn't that romantic, Kuromu?"_

"_Hmph," Kurogane replied indifferently._

"_I always feel kind of sad when I sell one of those, though," Fai admitted, with a small sorrowful smile._

"_What the hell for?"_

"_I don't know… maybe I'm jealous that no one's ever given one to me."_

_There was a brief silence between them and it made both of them uncomfortable._

"_But you'll give me one someday, right Kurowanwan?" Fai grinned._

"_Shut up," Kurogane grumbled.

* * *

_

Fai was so lost in his memories about that day with the teddy bears that he forgot to look both ways before starting to cross the next street, forcing an oncoming car to swerve to miss him and honk angrily at him for his inattentiveness. He waved a hand at the driver and grinned apologetically, then returned his attention to his thoughts.

A pang of misery hit him as he recalled the way Kurogane had seemed so much more interested in those teddy bear kits after Fai had explained their purpose to him. Fai had caught his friend looking through them thoughtfully more than once. And although the blond always put on a smile and teased Kurogane about being a closet romantic when this happened, it actually hurt him rather badly. The exact reason for this had eluded him until fairly recently but he had been aware of the pain immediately. Even as he thought about it now, Fai's hand absentmindedly drifted to his suddenly aching heart.

* * *

_Kurogane was looking at the teddy bear kits again. That was the third time Fai had noticed him doing it that day. He really wished he wouldn't; the thought of Kurogane giving a bear to someone he loved caused Fai an inexplicable amount of pain. It was a different kind than the pain he felt when he sold one; this pain was sharper and more intense. Fai stepped out from behind the counter and crept up on his employee. Kurogane was so immersed in his study of the teddy bear kits that he didn't even notice._

"_What are you up to, Kurochuu?" Fai asked, peeking curiously around Kurogane's shoulder, grinning mischievously._

_The dark-haired man jumped guiltily and his face turned bright red. "I-! N-nothing! I'm not doing anything! Jeez, what the hell is your problem?! Don't sneak up on people, you bastard!"_

"_Are you sure you're doing nothing?" Fai persisted in a sing-song voice. "You're acting awfully suspicious for someone who was just doing nothing, Kuropun. Were you looking at the teddy bears again?"_

"_Why the hell would I be looking at those damn things?!" Kurogane spat._

_Fai shrugged. "Usually when people look at the teddy bears, it's because there's someone they want to give one to. Is there someone you want to give a teddy bear to, Kurowanwan?"_

"_Tch! Yeah right! Don't be a dumb ass!"_

"_Wai! Kurosama's getting all blushy! How cute!"_

"_SHUT UP!! I'M NOT BLUSHING!! AND I SURE AS HELL AM NOT CUTE!!"_

"_I had no idea you were such a romantic, Kuromin!"_

_Kurogane whipped off his carpenter's apron and threw it on the ground. "I QUIT, DAMMIT!!"_

"_Nooo! Come back, Kurochii! Come back!"

* * *

_

_Fai was able to forget about Kurogane's suspected poverty because he got used to seeing him in his well-kept work uniform all the time and sharing a lunch with him, and for a while everything seemed both hunky and dory. But as time passed, the seasons began to change and the weather outside began to grow chillier. It was then that Fai remembered the shabby clothes that Kurogane used to wear all the time and the way he used to gulp his food before Fai started giving him lunch on a regular basis. He began to worry about whether his friend owned a coat that would keep him warm enough in such weather. But Fai had been paying him pretty well for his work so he was sure that there was enough for him to buy one. Plus Kurogane worked every single day of the week from open to close. Surely he would be fine, right?_

_To his relief, when he arrived at work the next morning, Kurogane showed up shortly after and was wearing a brand new winter coat. Fai's mind was put at ease for a while, but not for long. About two weeks later, Kurogane caught a cold that just refused to go away. Naturally, the dark-haired man tried to hide this as much as possible but his stubbornness could only get him so far. Kurogane would get angry when Fai fussed over him so the blond contented himself at first with keeping hot tea, cough drops and tissues available at all times. He was relieved to see that at least Kurogane accepted this amount of help from him, as long as Fai pretended to have made the tea for himself. But when Kurogane's condition didn't seem to be improving the toy shop owner could no longer turn a blind eye to the matter. _

_Fai was unsurprised to see Kurogane waiting outside the store when he arrived that morning to unlock it. Before it had started getting cold outside, Kurogane would always arrive a few minutes after Fai, but recently the employee had been showing up earlier and waiting for Fai to get there. Although the blond had promised himself long ago that he wouldn't pry in Kurogane's personal life anymore, he still couldn't help but wonder what had brought about the sudden change._

"_Good morning, Kuropyon!" Fai said cheerfully._

"_Yeah, whatever…" Kurogane grumbled, pushing past his employer in order to get inside more quickly once the door was unlocked._

_Fai frowned slightly as Kurogane brushed against him on his way in. "How come your hair and clothes are all wet, Kurosama?"_

_Kurogane blushed, avoiding Fai's eye. "…I passed this asshole shoveling his driveway on my way here and he threw snow on me because he wasn't paying attention."_

_The blond wasn't convinced but he remembered his decision not to snoop in Kurogane's business and said nothing. He watched the dark-haired man worriedly out of the corner of his eye as he began to heat the water for the usual tea in the back room and got down cups for both of them. Kurogane had been sick for almost a month now and he didn't seem to be getting any better. In fact, he seemed to be getting worse; Fai noticed today that as Kurogane was putting the new shipment of toys on the shelves that he kept having to steady himself against the wall as though he were dizzy and the shadows under his eyes suggested that he hadn't been sleeping well._

_Fai sighed and turned his attention back to preparing the tea. Maybe he should call a doctor to come in and look at him. He knew perfectly well that Kurogane would never allow Fai to take him to a doctor's office and if he was having financial trouble then he probably wouldn't be making any appointments for himself. Fai was sure that Kurogane would be angry with him if he had a doctor come to the toy shop to examine him but at this point he didn't really care anymore as long as it helped him get better. The blond rubbed his chin thoughtfully, seriously considering the idea. He was startled out of his reverie by the sound of Kurogane sneezing several times. Fai poked his head out of the back room._

"_Still not feeling well, Kurochan?" he asked with a sympathetic smile as though he were just now noticing._

"_I already told you, I feel fine, dammit," Kurogane growled through the handful of tissues he was using to combat his relentlessly running nose._

_Fai approached him and gently laid a hand on his shoulder. "But you're shivering, Kuronpu. And…" he moved his hand up to his friend's forehead, "you have a fever."_

"_I'm…Ah choo! I'm not sick!" Kurogane insisted, blowing his nose again._

"_I think you need to go home, Kurowankoro," Fai said firmly. "Where do you live? I'll walk you home, alright?"_

_The taller man blushed. "That's not…going to help anything…"_

_The blond was silent for a moment. "Well, at least come and lie down on the couch in the back room, ok? You can drink some tea and sleep for a little while. How does that sound, Kurobun?"_

_Kurogane stared at him in bewilderment. "Why the hell do you care so much?"_

_Fai smiled at him as he took his arm and led him towards the back room. "Because I'm worried about you, Kuropipi. You've been sick for such a long time."_

_Kurogane allowed himself to be pushed down onto the couch and watched as Fai got the two mugs of tea from the counter and brought them over to where he was sitting. He pushed one cup into his employee's hands and set the other down on the coffee table so that he could retrieve a blanket from the top shelf of the storage closet. Fai returned to Kurogane's side, draped the blanket around the broad, trembling shoulders and sat down next to him. Kurogane would have protested to this treatment but he simply didn't have the energy so he obediently sat and drank his tea. _

"_I really wish you would take better care of yourself, Kurochii," Fai said seriously. "It makes me so sad to see my Kurotan sick like this that I lie awake at night worrying about you."_

"_Don't be a dumb ass," Kurogane mumbled. "I don't belong to you. Anyway, what's the point in worrying? That never did shit for anyone."_

"_I know, but… I just can't help myself when it comes to Kuropiko."_

_Fai smiled softly to himself as he watched Kurogane finish off his tea; he could tell that it had made him very warm and sleepy and that it was taking every bit of self-control that he possessed to keep from putting his head in his employer's lap and going to sleep. In spite of the dark-haired man's stubbornness, he was fighting a losing battle. Fai gently took the cup from him and pulled him close, allowing him to rest his head against his shoulder. Kurogane was out like a light after that. _

_For a long time, Fai just held him and stroked his hair as he slept. It was then, as he cuddled and warmed Kurogane in his arms, that he realized why it always hurt him so badly when he saw him seemingly contemplating the purchase of a teddy bear kit; Fai loved him, and he couldn't stand the idea of his friend's heart belonging to someone else. Without thinking, Fai gently pressed his lips against Kurogane's burning forehead. Then he pulled away uncertainly, wondering if he dared try that again or, more daring yet, eventually let him know how he felt about him. _

_He wanted so badly to kiss his lips but he abstained; it would be foolish to kiss a sick person that way. Fai caressed Kurogane's face lovingly. Perhaps he was just being quixotic but it also seemed wrong to steal a kiss from him when he was helpless to stop it if it wasn't what he wanted. Fai contented himself by kissing his companion's feverish cheek instead. That was when the bells above the door jingled, announcing the arrival of a customer._

"_Hello, anyone here?" a voice called._

_Fai sighed reluctantly before calling in a forcedly cheery voice. "Just a moment!"_

_Very carefully, he wriggled his way out from beneath the sleeping body that rested against him and gently helped Kurogane lie down all the way. Then he made his way into the showroom where his customer was waiting._

"_Hello, how can I…" Fai stopped abruptly when he recognized the visitor, his professional attitude slipping just briefly to reveal his shock before he hitched his well-rehearsed smile back into place. "Good morning, Your Majesty," he said, bowing politely. When he straightened up again, his smile had gained a noticeable bitterness. "This is an unexpected delight…To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"_

_The king smiled coolly back at him, his smile not entirely friendly either. "How nice to see you again, Fai. It's been a while, hasn't it? Six…seven years now, I believe?"_

"_So it has... To tell the truth, I expected that you would have shown up much sooner than this. Surely your delay wasn't because you didn't know where to find me?"_

_The king laughed, and the sound of it made the hairs on the back of Fai's neck stand on end. "Of course not. We both know that I have eyes and ears everywhere in the kingdom."_

"_Then, if you don't mind me asking, what made you choose today to stop by?"_

"_A little bird told me you finally hired someone to help out in the shop. I was rather hoping to meet this new addition and see for myself just what kind of person he was, but…" the king looked around curiously, "he doesn't seem to be here at the moment."_

"_No…" Fai said slowly. "He's not."_

_The king looked him calmly in the eye, searching the blond's gaze carefully. "You always were a terrible liar, Fai."_

_Fai shrugged. "I don't know about that, Your Majesty; I manage to fool most people. It was only you who always saw through me."_

_The king smiled coldly again, bringing a hand to Fai's cheek. "Of course I can. I did raise you, after all."_

"_Yes… you always have been very possessive of what you considered to be yours, Ashura Ou."_

_Ashura ignored that little jab. "So where is this employee of yours? I must admit, I'm quite eager to meet him." His eyes narrowed as they fell on the partially open door to the back room and he began walk toward it but Fai cut him off just before he could reach it._

"_Now's not a good time; he's not feeling well, I'm afraid," Fai said firmly._

_Ashura studied his eyes again quizzically. "Is it customary among commoners to make your employees come to work even when they are in poor health? I must admit, I've never quite understood the practices of you lower class people."_

"_I don't make him do anything," Fai said coldly, though he continued to smile. "He is here of his own accord, I assure you."_

"_As his employer, it is your responsibility to send him home if he doesn't have the mental capacity to take care of himself," Ashura replied. "I know you were born in the cesspool of humanity, Fai, but I would have thought that I taught you better than that."_

_Although the blond's outer appearance was calm and composed, inside he was seething. He knew that there was little point in arguing with Ashura over this; whatever he said would just be answered with another insult about his social status. Ashura's eyes narrowed again as he realized what Fai was doing by trying to remain silent. The king wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily._

"_My sources tell me that he's nothing but common street trash," Ashura said quietly, his eyes colder and harder than ever. "Tell me it's not true."_

"_Hmm, how unusual… I've never known Your Majesty's sources to be so grossly misinformed," the toy shop owner answered lightly._

_Ashura was getting visibly angry now. Though all he did was ball his hands into fists, to Fai it was as obvious as if he had punched him in the face. Bad things tended to happen when Ashura got mad; Fai knew this better than anyone. But at the moment, he himself was so angry that he hardly cared what happened to him._

"_Why do you even bother lying to me, Fai?" the king breathed dangerously, though his lips still retained a slight smile. "I always know; I can always tell."_

"_Why does Your Majesty bother asking questions when he knows that my answers will be lies?" Fai countered._

_Ashura's sardonic smile widened. "I don't know… perhaps it's because I wanted so badly to hear that my sources were wrong this time."_

"_It was Your Majesty's senses that were wrong this time," Fai said. "I wasn't lying."_

"_No?" Ashura asked, totally unconvinced._

"_No," the blond repeated. "I may not know much about his personal life, but I do know that there's nothing common about him and he certainly isn't trash."_

_The king stared at him for a moment, then threw back his graceful head in bitter laughter. "You're in love with him, aren't you?"_

_Fai's cheeks flushed ever so slightly but he said nothing and met Ashura's gaze unwaveringly._

_Ashura shook his head slightly in disbelief. "Unbelievable…What does that filthy urchin have that I don't?"_

"_Your Majesty's problem was that you always got so caught up on social standing," the blond said seriously. _

_The king was dumbstruck for just a moment before a look of grim determination replaced his shock. "I can bring them back, you know. Your family. Come back to the palace with me and I'll use my power to bring them back."_

_Fai could hardly believe what he was hearing. It was all he could do to keep himself from attacking the king. "That's impossible. You and I both know that."_

"_But people can be brought back by the person who killed them. I can teach you the spell."_

"_You're not the only one who can detect lies, Your Majesty," Fai said sharply. "I'm not so naïve as to believe something like that."_

_Ashura was silent for a moment, staring bitterly at the floor. When he finally lifted his gaze again, Fai could see the regret in his eyes, in spite of his smile. "Imagine, a king being turned down in favor of street trash…"_

"_Now I'm afraid I must ask you to leave."_

_Fai walked over to the front door and held it open, his cheerful, professional smile reappearing once more._

_Ashura stared at him blankly._

"_You have successfully insulted everyone I have ever held dear. Now you will leave before I am forced to do something I will regret."_

_The king paused for another moment before leaving without another word. _

_Fai slammed and locked the door behind him, sliding to the floor as his knees gave out from a mixture of relief and grief. He put his face in his hands, trying to collect himself and keep the tears that were brimming in his eyes from falling. A sudden, overwhelming need to be held swept over him and he staggered back into the back room. Kurogane was still sleeping peacefully on the couch, completely unaware of the pain that his employer had just suffered on his behalf. Fai dropped his knees at the dark-haired man's side and hesitantly ducked his head under Kurogane's arm. _

_He was so preoccupied by trying not to cry that he didn't even notice his friend's eyes opening slowly. Kurogane looked down at the mop of fair hair, momentarily disoriented. It came back to him gradually, where he was and what had happened before he had fallen asleep. Finally, he recognized the person nestled up against him as Fai. He wasn't sure what Fai was doing, kneeling at his side like this but his shoulders were shaking. Kurogane didn't move or make a sound, not only because his muscles were still so fatigued and sore due to his sickness, but also because he was afraid that Fai would notice that he was awake and be scared away._

_After a while, Fai's trembling slowed to a stop and his breathing became deep and even. Kurogane could tell that he had gone to sleep. A rare, small smile spread across his lips. He wanted to pull the blond up onto the couch next to him but found he simply didn't have the energy to do so. Besides, what if it woke him? After softly kissing the top of Fai's head, Kurogane closed his eyes again and went back to sleep himself.

* * *

_

Fai blinked, suddenly noticing that he was standing before his own front door and wasn't sure how long he had been there. He shook his head slightly, trying to clear the fog of memories from it before fishing the house key out of his coat pocket. It had been about three weeks since that incident with Ashura and Fai was glad for every day that pushed it further into the past.

But Ashura's visit had done at least one helpful thing; thanks to what the king had told him about his informants' findings, Fai was able to finally confirm something that he had been wondering for quite a while; apparently Kurogane didn't have a home after all. That explained a lot; his shabby clothes, his initial ravenous hunger, his refusal to be sent home that day… It also explained Kurogane's unusually persistent cold and why his hair and jacket had been wet that day when he had brushed against Fai: because he had to sleep outdoors.

When the two of them had locked up the shop that evening, Fai had dug out his spare key to the store and let Kurogane see him hide it under a loose shingle on the low overhang that stuck out above the door. When Kurogane had looked at him suspiciously, Fai had cheerfully told him that he thought it would be a good idea to have a spare, just in case, and that Kurogane should use it if he ever got locked out. The real reason Fai had put it there was, of course, so that Kurogane could use it to let himself in after hours and thus have a warm place to spend the night. Fai never caught Kurogane using it or saw him inside the store before it was time for it to open but he did notice that the taller man was slowly but surely regaining his health.

Fai had just opened the front door to his house to let himself in when he sensed someone standing behind him. He whipped around and found himself face to face with Kurogane. Fai's breath caught in his chest. He was surprised and slightly relieved to see him there since he hadn't come to work today. Fai had been a little worried that something had happened to him.

"Ku-Kurosama," he stammered. "You…you didn't come to work today. I was worried… What are you doing here?"

Kurogane snorted and looked away and Fai thought he might have seen him blushing but it was really too dark for him to be sure. "I came to see you, you idiot. Why else would I be here?"

"Why, indeed," Fai agreed distantly. Then he shook himself again. "Would you like to come inside?"

He shrugged. "Fine, I guess."

Fai let him in and closed the door behind them.

"Please, sit down, Kuropii," the toy shop owner offered. "I'll get us something to drink. What would you like?"

"Got anything with alcohol?" Kurogane asked.

Fai grinned. "Of course!"

He disappeared into the kitchen to get the drinks and Kurogane took a deep breath to calm himself and undid a few of the buttons on his coat. Fai reentered the living room with two glasses of an amber-colored liquid in his hands. He gave one to Kurogane then sat down in the chair opposite from him and took a drink.

"So, what brings Kuromyuu here on this Christmas Eve?" Fai asked with a smile. "Were you lonely and in need of some company?"

Kurogane rolled his eyes. "Tch. Yeah, right."

The blond tilted his head curiously, waiting for his employee to explain himself. Kurogane took a drink before continuing.

"You didn't tell me you knew the king," he said eventually.

Fai's smile became small and sad. "You didn't tell me you didn't have a home."

The employee's frown deepened. "Yeah, well… I chose that for myself. Anyway, it's none of your damn business."

"I guess that make us even, then, hmm?"

Kurogane sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking slightly irritated with himself. After a moment, he reached into his coat pocket.

"I brought you something."

He pulled out a handmade teddy bear with a red ribbon tied around its neck and pushed it into Fai's hands. Fai stared at it in stunned silence, turning it over in his hands. He noticed the somewhat clumsy stitching and looked up at Kurogane questioningly.

Kurogane blushed. "That's why I didn't come to work today; I was finishing this damn thing. I hope you're happy, you bastard."

"K-Kurochuu…" Fai breathed, looking up at him with shining eyes.

"Look, don't get the wrong idea," he said quickly. "I'm only giving it to you because you said you wanted one and I was sick of seeing you get all sappy every time you sold…"

Kurogane was cut off as Fai launched himself at him, threw his arms around his friend's broad shoulders and kissed his lips almost desperately. Kurogane hadn't been expecting this so it took him a moment to respond but when he finally got over his shock he wrapped his arms around Fai's slender waist and deepened the kiss. When they eventually pulled apart, Kurogane was lying on his back on the couch with Fai on top of him.

"Thank you, Kurochan," Fai breathed, his lips grazing the dark-haired man's neck softly. "It's the best Christmas present I've ever gotten."

"What are you gonna name it?" his friend asked.

Fai pressed his lips against his one more time before answering. "Kurogane."

* * *

**A/N: **Well, thar she is. I was gonna give them both back stories and explain why Kurogane was homeless and why Fai had been raised by Ashura and all that but no matter where I put them, they just seemed awkward and unnecessary so I just got rid of them. It felt weird, putting Kurogane in this kind of role. I even started writing a version where Kurogane was the toy shop owner and Fai was the homeless one but I decided that there were plenty of stories like that and maybe I should try something a little different. I hope Kurogane didn't come out too OOC. And I'm sorry if Ashura was a bit OOC, too; I've never read anything else with him in it so I really don't know much about the way he acts.

Anyway, the next prompt is "bloom". Stay tuned!


	4. Bloom

**A/N: **Wai--! So many faves and reviews on this story! I'm surprised to see that it's so popular! Thanks for the reviews, guys! I love you all :D **Warning: this fic contains spoilers for ch. 165 and up!

* * *

**

**Bloom**

After the events in Tokyo, Fai had thought he would probably never be happy again. The relatively carefree days he had spent teasing Kurogane, singing songs with Mokona, teasing Kurogane, watching Sakura and Syaoran rediscover their love for each other and teasing Kurogane had seemed evanescent and impossible to recapture. But as he sat on the balcony of Kurogane's room in Shirasaki Castle, Japan, snuggled up in his favorite ninja's lap, wrapped in a blanket as the two of them watched the sun set, he realized just how wrong he had been; this was quite possibly the best night of his life (not that was really saying much in Fai's case, but he wasn't about to turn his nose up at it).

Sure, things were different now than they had been, but even if he had had to lose an eye in order to reach a time where he could feel this content he decided it was worth it. At the same time, though, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty as his slender finger traced its way absentmindedly along the artificial muscles of Kurogane's new arm. Kurogane's organic hand was gently stroking his cheek in a way so sweet and affectionate that the wizard wouldn't have guessed that the swordsman was capable of it had he not been experiencing it. Suddenly a random question worked its way into his mind and Fai couldn't help but ask it.

"Kurotan? What were you like when you were younger?"

Kurogane paused and looked down at him, his scarlet eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Huh? What the hell are you asking something like that for?"

Fai grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know… I was just curious whether being raised partially by a bunch of women had any sort of affect on your personality." The blond giggled. "If this is how Kuropuu turned out after being brought up with a soft, feminine touch I can't help but wonder what he was like before."

Even in the soft glow of the setting sun Fai could see his companion blushing, and it was so endearing that Fai couldn't resist kissing him. When Kurogane still hadn't replied after a moment, the magician pushed him playfully onto his back and sat on his stomach.

"If you don't tell me, Kurochuu, I'll be forced to ask Tomoyo hime, and I'm sure she'd be more than willing to give me any dirt she had on you."

Kurogane hissed reluctantly through clenched teeth at the thought.

"I don't know what you want me to say," he growled. "I was shorter and scrawnier but that's about it."

"Were you as brave as you are now?" Fai asked.

Kurogane shrugged. "You know what kids are like… I always wanted to be the top ninja of Japan, like my father. You can't be a wimp if you're gonna do that. But I guess there were plenty of times where I was acting on stupidity more than bravery."

He paused thoughtfully, then added "I never was one to back down from a challenge, though."

Fai laughed. "So Kurosama hated to lose even as a child, huh?"

"Shut up, you," the ninja grumbled.

Fai fiddled amusedly with the collar of Kurogane's hakama. "I bet you were quite the troublemaker, too, weren't you, Kurochan?"

"Tch. What makes you say that?"

"I can just imagine a little Kuropiko running around the castle with his toy sword, trying to start fights with anyone who looked like they might try to challenge his authority and giving everyone a hard time," Fai teased, his smile widening at the thought. "I bet Tomoyo hime could still make you cry, though, right, Kuromin?"

"You bastard!" Kurogane snapped. "You're a real pain in the ass, you know that?!"

"How could I forget, Kurokuro? You tell me that every five minutes," the blond snickered. "And yet…" he lovingly touched Kurogane's hands which held him on either side of his waist, "Kuromyuu still holds me like this."

Kurogane snorted and pulled Fai all the way down so that he was lying on top of him, hugging him tightly. The mage closed his eyes happily, cherishing the warmth of the body beneath his.

"Did you go to school?" Fai asked eventually.

"Amaterasu hired tutors for me," the swordsman replied simply.

"I bet Kuropipi made trouble for them, too. You probably had a tantrum every time they marked one of your answers wrong on a test and started cussing and throwing things," Fai giggled. "You did that, didn't you, Kuropon? Come on, admit it."

"I did not!" Kurogane snarled. "Quit saying stupid crap like that when you really have no idea!"

"Were you a good student?"

"Hmph… well, I almost never studied but I did alright anyway. Not that it's any of your damn business," he added, just for good measure.

"Did you have a separate tutor for sword practice?" Fai asked.

Kurogane was silent for a bit while he tried to remember. "Yeah… I had this one old guy for a while, but he ended up retiring and after that I went through a lot of them."

"Oh? And why was that?" Fai inquired sweetly, getting the feeling that he already knew the answer.

"Most of them were dumb asses who didn't know jack shit about sword fighting," Kurogane sneered. "Once they reached a certain level, they got cocky and stopped trying to get better. People like that don't even deserve to call themselves ninjas; it makes the rest of us look bad."

"So if you were a good student and a good swordfighter, I'm sure Kurowanwan probably had lots of admirers too, right?" the magician asked with a smile.

"Tch. Like I ever cared about that," Kurogane snorted.

"Oh, come on, Kurochii," Fai persisted. "You can tell me."

"I don't know and I don't care!"

"Hmm? Are you telling me you never had a crush on anyone when you were younger, Kuropyon? I think you're lying!"

"What about you, you bastard?" Kurogane demanded. "Were you ever interested in that kind of thing?"

Fai's golden eye became distant as he searched the memories of his painful childhood. "There really weren't any other people my age in the castle, so I didn't have anyone in particular that I liked. But from time to time, when I would leave the palace, I would see couples spending time together or hear girls talking about boys that they liked and I could never help wondering when it would be my turn…" Fai's smile was small and sad now. "When would it be me that someone was dreaming of…Didn't you ever feel like that, Kurowanko?"

The ninja sighed and rolled his eyes. "I was too busy trying to make myself stronger. I didn't care about stupid crap like that."

"Never? Really? Hyuu…" Fai said in wonder.

"Well…" Kurogane said slowly.

The blond perked up instantly. He sat up. "Ah ha! I knew it! Who was it, Kurowanta?"

"I never was interested in anyone…until I met…" he broke off, blushing and avoiding Fai's eye. "Hmph, just forget it."

Fai was spent a moment in curious silence, staring off into space as he wondered what kind of person could have managed to capture the brash swordsman's interest. But when he looked down at Kurogane again and noticed that his face was still red and felt the heart beneath his hand fluttering nervously, he understood and a warm smile spread across his face. Slowly, he leaned down and kissed Kurogane's lips.

"Was Daddy going to say that he was never interested in anyone until he met me?" Fai whispered. Kurogane propped himself up on his elbows and kissed him again in response. When they pulled apart, Fai giggled mischievously. "You really were a late bloomer, weren't you Kurochuu?"

"Hey, shut the hell up, you—!" Kurogane began but Fai put a finger to the ninja's lips to silence him.

"Don't worry, Kurobun; you were my first love, too."

* * *

**A/N: **So, what did you think? It was shorter than what I usually do… I hope it wasn't boring. For anyone who didn't really see what this story had to do with the prompt "bloom", blooming can also refer to a person growing up, not just a flower.

The next prompt is "nimbus". Stay tuned!


	5. Nimbus

**A/N:** And here I am with an update! I've had the idea for this story for a while now but just never got around to writing it down. Maybe that's a good thing, though, eh? Otherwise I wouldn't be able to use it for this challenge series.

The prompt for this chapter is "Nimbus". For those of you who have forgotten or who don't listen in science class, I shall define the word nimbus as it is given in the Oxford Pocket American Dictionary of Current English (I feel like Yuuko when I type that): **1 **a halo. **2 **_Meteorol. _a rain cloud.

Now, on with the story!

* * *

**Nimbus**

Kurogane stared, dumbstruck, at the sleeping figure in his bed. What was that thing? His new roommate, most likely. He honestly couldn't tell if the person was a guy or a girl since their face was mostly buried in his pillow. Kurogane shuddered in disgust; if their face was buried in his pillow like that they were probably drooling all over it. But in spite of the fact that his pillow was most likely partially drenched in the saliva of a total stranger, there was no denying that (from what he could see, anyway) this person was beautiful.

Golden hair fanned out around the person's head, obscuring a large portion of the half of the face that wasn't already hidden by the pillow. He could still make out a pale cheek, colored by a slight flush of warmth, and an eye closed delicately in peaceful sleep. Although the rest of the person's body was curled up under his covers, Kurogane could still tell that they were thin. In fact, if the hands that rested on the pillow on either side of the head were anything to go on, this person was thin almost to the point of looking malnourished.

_That's enough staring,_ Kurogane decided, picking up a bottle of water from his dresser and unscrewing the cap. _If you think that being ridiculously thin and a little bit pretty is gonna stop me from pouring this water on your face, then you've got another thing coming._ He began to tilt the bottle slowly, then paused and decided to at least have a drink of it before he started using it for any exorcisms. After draining most of the bottle's contents, Kurogane tilted the bottle over the person's head, allowing some of the water to splash across that beautiful face.

The reaction was quite a bit more sudden and violent (and satisfying) than he had expected. The person jumped as though they had been electrified and made an odd sound like a strangled meow. Stunning blue eyes snapped open, looking shocked and confused and a little indignant. Kurogane set down the water bottle and folded his arms sternly, fixing his roommate with a glare. Now that the person's face wasn't engaged in sucking on his pillow, he could now tell with 91 percent certainty that he was looking at a boy, albeit a ridiculously girly one. The guy blinked dazedly at him a few times, seemingly trying to remember where he was and why someone would want to be pouring water on his face. Eventually Kurogane saw understanding dawn on that pretty face of his and a smile spread across his lips.

"Who the hell are you, and what the fuck are you doing in my bed?" Kurogane growled irritably.

"Good morning!" the blond chirped, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Are you my new roommate?"

"I sure as hell hope not," Kurogane grumbled, his stomach churning at the thought.

"You look just like I thought you would…" his roommate sighed dreamily.

"Huh?" Kurogane asked, slightly creeped out. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I could smell your cologne on the blankets… It was such a nice, manly smell," he sighed dreamily. Fai hopped down from the bed and leaned in close to his roommate, sniffing at his shirt.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Kurogane stammered, now highly creeped out.

"Mm, that smell suits you perfectly," he whispered. "I'm Fai, by the way. What's your name, Roommate kun?"

"It's Kurogane," Kurogane answered shortly before taking a large step backwards so the two of them weren't standing so close anymore. "And you never answered my question: what the hell were you doing sleeping in my bed?!"

"Ah, yes, sorry about that, Kuropun…Is it ok if I call you 'Kuropun', by the way?"

"No."

"Anyway, Kuropun, I'm sorry about the whole 'sleeping in you bed' thing. It just looked so nice and comfortable so I went and sat down on it, and then I noticed how nice it smelled so I laid down on the pillow and before I knew it, I was asleep," he explained with an apologetic shrug. Then he pouted. "But you didn't have to go and pour water on me, you big meany! You could have just petted my hair and said 'Fai, wake up' and that would have done just fine!"

"Tch. Cry me a damn river," Kurogane snorted. "Anyway, that's what you get for sleeping in someone else's bed, you bastard."

Fai's pout disappeared and was replaced by a grin once more. "Has anyone ever told you that you're really cute when you're angry?"

"No, but if you tell me that again, I'll kick your ass right out that window," Kurogane threatened mutinously. "I'm serious."

"I have a present for you," Fai said suddenly, scrambling over to his bed and rummaging around in his slightly tattered black duffle bag.

"Huh? Why?" Kurogane asked, caught off guard. He hardly knew this guy so why was Fai giving him a present already? It made him feel awkward and a little bit guilty.

"Here!" Fai pulled something out of his bag, keeping it clamped in his hand so that Kurogane couldn't see what it was. "Hold out your arm, Kurochan."

The dark-haired boy obeyed hesitantly and watched blankly as Fai slipped a close-fitting black bracelet that was studded with silver spikes like a dog collar onto his wrist. Kurogane held it up for a closer look. It actually didn't look half bad on him.

"Do you like it, Kuromu?" Fai smiled.

"…I guess it's ok…" he admitted grudgingly as he examined it. "But why are you giving me this?"

"Because I want us to be friends, Kurorun!" Fai replied happily.

"Tch." Kurogane could feel himself blushing slightly. He always felt weird when people said that they wanted to be friends with him or referred to him as a friend. It didn't help that Fai was absolutely beautiful. Desperate for some other topic of conversation to fill the awkward silence, he looked around the dorm room, frowning. "Hey, if you're my roommate, then where's all your stuff?"

"Hmm?" Fai asked delicately.

"Didn't you bring anything with you?" Kurogane demanded.

Fai's side of the room was completely empty. There were no clothes in the closet, no books or pictures on his desk and the only thing on his bed was the ugly mustard-yellow fitted sheet and pillow with a pillowcase that matched the fitted sheet provided by the university. There was also the tattered black duffle bag that Fai had taken his present out of which looked much too small to contain anything of real substance.

Fai looked at his side of the room, seeming equally confused. "What more do I need?"

Kurogane snarled in frustration; he wondered if this "playing dumb" thing was going to be a regular occurrence with this guy. "There's no way you managed to fit all your clothes into that one little bag there. You _do_ plan on wearing clothes, right?" He stopped speaking for a moment as a horrifying possibility occurred to him. "Oh god… don't tell me you're a nudist or something."

Fai laughed. "Don't be silly, Kurotan! I'm wearing clothes right now, aren't I?"

Kurogane scanned the clothes Fai was wearing, looking slightly dubious. The blond was sporting a long, white, button-down overcoat that reached his knees and black pants and socks. Then his frown deepened again.

"Yeah, that's another thing; why the hell are you wearing that ridiculous coat? Haven't you noticed that it's about eighty degrees outside today?" Kurogane pointed out.

Fai looked away when Kurogane said this, and Kurogane thought he saw a pained look on his face though he couldn't imagine why his mentioning the heat would cause Fai sadness. Kurogane shivered suddenly. The dark-haired boy folded his arms again to warm them in the unexpected temperature change, and he found himself wondering if it had always been this cold in the room and he hadn't noticed or if he was just going crazy.

"No… I hadn't noticed…" Fai said softly, still not looking at Kurogane.

"…Does it seem really cold in here to you all of a sudden?" Kurogane asked eventually. "And anyway, what the hell do you mean that you didn't notice? How could you not?"

At the first question, Fai seemed startled for a second because his head snapped upward to face Kurogane again, his eyes slightly wide, before his smile returned. He shrugged in a way that seemed carefree but Kurogane couldn't imagine how anyone could possibly switch emotions so quickly for real.

"It isn't that strange for people not to notice things that seem obvious to other people." Fai grinned and pointed to the space just above his roommate's head. "For instance, Kurosama, did you notice that you have a little black rain cloud floating above your head right now? It's been there the ever since we started talking!"

Kurogane unfolded his arms, the room's mysterious chill vanishing as suddenly as it had come, though it still felt a bit cooler than he would have thought it should be if he hadn't been too busy feeling indignant to really notice. "What are you talking about? There's nothing above my head! Quit being a dumb ass!"

"Yes there is, Kurokuro!" Fai insisted, his smile widening. "It's pouring rain right on you! And now there's lightning, too! Oh no, Kurochii must be angry!"

"DAMN RIGHT I AM!!" Kurogane snapped. "AND WHAT THE HELL IS WITH THESE RETARDED NICKNAMES?! MY NAME IS KUROGANE, DAMMIT!!"

"I know that," the blond said coolly, "but my nicknames sound so much cuter than your real name!"

"I DON'T WANNA BE CUTE!!" he snarled. He was just about to elaborate on what he _did_ want (mainly to kill Fai) when a knock on the door interrupted his tirade. Kurogane stomped over to the door and whipped it open impatiently. "Yeah, what do you want?"

There was another boy standing outside his door, looking slightly nervous at Kurogane's short-tempered answer.

"Er… I-I was just wondering if everything was alright over here…" he stammered. "I heard shouting and…" The boy paused and stared curiously as though he was giving Kurogane a reevaluation. "Are you… Kurogane san?"

"Who the hell wants to know?" he demanded.

"Oh, excuse me for not introducing myself. I'm Hideki Motosuwa," he said with a hurried bow. "I was just wondering because, well… you were the only one in the whole residence hall who got his own room. A lot of people are pretty jealous of you..."

"Hold on," Kurogane interrupted. "I don't have my own room."

Hideki looked puzzled. "No? A lot of people are talking about it… I guess it's pretty rare that anyone gets a room to themselves."

"Well, I dunno who told you that I have a room to myself but they're wrong," he growled. "I've just met my roommate and he's annoying as hell. He's the one I was yelling at just now."

"Really? Is he here right now?" Hideki asked, standing on his tiptoes as he tried to peek around the taller boy's shadow

"Tch, yeah," Kurogane grumbled. He stepped aside and opened the door a bit wider so that Hideki could get a glimpse of his freak of a roommate. Hideki moved forward a bit, a frown spreading across his face.

"Umm…Where…?"

"Huh?" Kurogane said, turning around to face his room. There was no one there; Fai was gone. "That weasel! Where the hell did he go?!"

"Brr," Hideki shivered, rubbing his hands on his arms. "Why is your room so cold? My room is like an oven!"

"This is the second time it's gotten cold suddenly," Kurogane muttered suspiciously. "I don't know what's going on." He approached the vent that was positioned beneath his window and put a hand over it, trying to see if that was the source of the cold. "It's not coming from the vent…"

"So your roommate just disappeared?" Hideki asked, looking just as perplexed as Kurogane. "But he was just here, right? There's no way he could have left the room with us standing in the doorway… Maybe…the window…?"

"This is the third fucking floor!" Kurogane sputtered, dashing to the window to look for any sign of Fai on the sidewalk below.

There were plenty of people milling around down there, most of them students who were still getting moved in, but there was no sign of Fai splattered on the pavement, or anywhere else for that matter. Kurogane turned back to Hideki, thoroughly confused. There was no way that Fai could have gotten out of the room without him noticing, no tree outside their window that he could have climbed down or ledge that he could be hiding on. Where could he possibly have gone? The expression on Hideki's face was one of hesitant pity.

"What's that look for?" Kurogane asked irritably.

"Nothing, just… I mean, your roommate's side of the room is pretty empty…" he replied slowly.

Understanding dawned on Kurogane. "I didn't imagine him!" he snapped. "He really was here just a second ago!"

"Hmm, well… I still have some unpacking to do," Hideki said, stepping back out into the hallway. "So I'm gonna go back to my room now. It was nice meeting you, Kurogane san."

Kurogane continued to glare at the spot where Hideki had just been even after the boy had closed the door, rubbing his arms absentmindedly in the still-present chill.

"Ah, here it is! I found it!" Fai's voice said suddenly.

Kurogane jumped in surprise and whirled around just in time to see Fai step out from beside his dresser where he had presumably been crouched. The dark-haired boy simply stared at his roommate in complete shock.

Fai smiled and held up a large white button. "I lost a button off my coat but luckily I found it hiding under the dresser."

Kurogane was at a complete loss for words. He was certain that Fai had not been sitting alongside that dresser mere seconds ago but there was no other explanation as to where he could have gone. After all, it wasn't as though people could just appear and disappear as they pleased.

"Uh oh, I think the rain cloud above Kurowanko's head is getting even bigger," Fai trilled, pointing to the space above Kurogane's head again.

"You bastard!" Kurogane shouted, pounding the wall in frustration. "Why the hell didn't you come out and let that guy meet you?! Now he probably thinks I'm some kind of freak and that I just invented you myself!"

Fai shrugged easily again. "I've already had to meet a lot of new people today. I really don't feel like meeting any more."

"You're so damn selfish!" Kurogane snarled.

"If you're not careful, Kuropyon, you'll fill the whole room with rain clouds and all our stuff will get wet!" Fai warned jokingly.

"God, this is gonna be the longest fucking year of my life," Kurogane grumbled as he grabbed his pillow and pulled off the pillowcase which was wet from (what he hoped was) when he had poured water on Fai to wake him up. He noticed then that the chill that had plagued the room during Hideki's visit had once again vanished. Kurogane heaved a sigh, making a mental note to himself to ask at the front desk about having their room's temperature control looked at.

* * *

Kurogane glanced up at the gray sky as he made his way back to his dorm room from picking up his textbooks. That had been quite an adventure; the whole university center had been jam-packed with students all trying to push past each other so that they could get at the bookshelves. Kurogane had made the mistake of waiting until move-in day to get his books last year, too, but had forgotten just how nasty it had been. Of course, he had an advantage since he was definitely one of the tallest and strongest ones there but even with intimidation, the other students could only give him so much leeway due to a lack of space.

"Yoo hoo! Kurogane!" someone called from a short distance behind him.

Kurogane turned around and saw Tomoyo running towards him with a small stack of books in her arms. He stopped and let her catch up. The two of them had been friends since grade school.

"I was wondering when I'd bump into you!" she said cheerfully. "Did you get all moved in?"

"Yeah…" he sighed.

"Hmm? Is something the matter, Kurogane?" Tomoyo asked sweetly. "You look a little bit irritated. But then, you're usually irritated about something, aren't you?" She laughed girlishly. "And that little rain cloud above your head is in full action, too, I see."

"What the hell?!" Kurogane snarled. "Why is everyone telling me I have a rain cloud over my head?! I do not!"

"Oh? Who else told you?"

Kurogane heaved another sigh of frustration. "My damn roommate."

"Ah, I see," Tomoyo nodded sagely. "So you're frustrated because you and your roommate don't get along."

"I dunno… _he_ gets along with _me_ just fine," the dark-haired boy growled through gritted teeth. "He even gave me this thing."

Kurogane held up his wrist to show Tomoyo his bracelet. Tomoyo stopped walking when she saw it and hesitantly reached out to touch it. Kurogane watched her questioningly as she ran her delicate fingers over the material.

"What is it?" he asked finally.

"Nothing," she smiled. "I just wanted to see if it was real leather."

"Is it?"

"Yes, it is. I'm impressed! Your roommate must really like you!"

"Hmph," Kurogane said, narrowing his eyes at her in suspicion. He got the distinct feeling that wasn't the real reason she had seemed so interested in it, though she obviously didn't feel like letting him in on that little secret.

"So what's your roommate's name?" she asked innocently.

"I dunno, something weird…" He pretended to have to think about it although in reality he had no trouble remembering. "Fai, or something, I think…"

Tomoyo giggled behind her hand.

"What are you laughing at?!" he demanded.

"You're so funny, Kurogane," she gushed. "The way you're too embarrassed to call anyone by their names is so cute!"

"Dammit! I swear to God, if one more person calls me cute, I'll kill the bastard!" Kurogane raged.

"Was that your roommate, too?" Tomoyo asked eagerly.

"Yeah…that asshole," he grumbled.

"Fai san sounds like the kind of person I would get along with," she said thoughtfully. "You should introduce us."

"Tch. Like hell I will," Kurogane sulked. "You two would probably get together over tea and discuss new ways to piss me off."

"Ooh, I hadn't thought of that! Thank you for the idea, Kurogane!" Tomoyo chirped. "Now I _have_ to meet him!"

"No freaking way," Kurogane said firmly. "Anyway, the guy is nuts. You'd be better off staying as far away from him as possible."

"Are you really looking out for me, Kurogane?" Tomoyo asked in a teasing voice. "Or are you afraid I might steal him away from you?"

"WHY THE FUCK WOULD I BE AFRAID OF THAT?!!" Kurogane raged. "LIKE I GIVE A SHIT IF YOU LIKE THAT GUY!!"

"I'm not so sure about you, Kurogane," she giggled. "I think I detect a hint of jealousy in your voice! And your little rain cloud just started with its lightning and thunder!"

Kurogane had had enough; he didn't have to take this kind of crap from a freshman, especially not a freshman girl. Without another word, he stomped off toward his dorm, leaving Tomoyo to watch him go with a slight smile on her face.

"I think you and Fai san will get along just fine. You're off to a good start, it seems," she said to herself once Kurogane had gone. "And he gave you _that_ kind of bracelet, even… I'm interested to see how this will turn out."

* * *

Kurogane spent the rest of the day avoiding his room as much as possible. Something about Fai put him on edge, and it wasn't just the chipper attitude and constant teasing; something about him really just seemed wrong. Not that Kurogane was afraid of him or anything. He would just rather not spend his time in the presence of a total whackjob. Such was his determination to stay out of his room that he even went and hung out in Tomoyo's room for a while, something that he usually avoided doing at all costs. Not only was this because Tomoyo lived in the all-girls dormitory and all the stupid girls that lived there made a big deal about it whenever he came to visit but also because Tomoyo, as a fashion major, always wanted him try on some ridiculous outfit that she'd made.

Eventually, however, he had to return to his own dorm, though he walked as slowly as he could so that he could delay his return as long possible. When he opened the door to his room, a gust of cold air came rushing out to meet him. Actually, since he'd been walking outside for so long where it was hot and humid, he found it somewhat pleasant. All the lights were turned off, and he could see Fai's shape curled up on his own bed, presumably asleep. Kurogane closed the door quietly, not wanting to wake his roommate, and locked it securely behind him.

As Kurogane removed his shirt and crawled into bed, he noticed that the blankets were no longer askew as he had left them after finding the blond in his bed earlier that day. His bed was neatly made and when he lifted the blankets, he was even more surprised to find that they now smelled of laundry soap. Had Fai assumed that Kurogane was avoiding him because he had been deeply bothered by finding him in his bed the first time they ever met and wanted to make it up to him? The notion seemed odd to him but he could think of no other possible explanation. Before he fell asleep, Kurogane looked over at the slim form that lay on the bed across the room from him and wondered vaguely if Fai would be cold without any blankets.

* * *

It was about three in the morning when Kurogane next opened his eyes. Why the hell was it so freaking cold in his room?! In the pale moonlight that was creeping in from between the gaps in his curtains, Kurogane could see his breath clouding in front of his face, and his ears and the tip of his nose were numb. He was just about to pull the covers over his head and go back to sleep when he glanced over at Fai. The blond was sitting up and facing the wall but Kurogane could see that he was hugging himself and shaking. Kurogane clamped his eyes shut, knowing that he was going to regret this as soon as the words left his mouth but his conscience wouldn't allow him to leave Fai this way.

"You cold?" Kurogane asked sleepily.

Fai jumped and spun around. "Ah, did…did I wake you, Kurosama? I…I'm sorry…I was just…"

"You can sleep over here if you want," he mumbled, and even though the room was freezing, he could feel his face growing hot.

Fai was silent for a moment in disbelief. "You mean… I can sleep with you?"

"Never mind," Kurogane said hurriedly. "Forget I said it."

"N…no, I…please, it would really…"

"What, so you do want to, then?" Kurogane asked.

"Well…if it's not too much trouble, Kurowanko…" Fai replied timidly.

Kurogane moved over to make room for Fai. The blond crawled into bed next to him and Kurogane felt his stomach leap in terror when Fai made as if to put his arms around him but to his immense relief, his roommate restrained himself.

"Thank you…so much, Kurochuu," Fai whispered as he snuggled under the covers. "Good…good night…"

"Hmm," Kurogane grunted in response, and rolled over so that his back was to the other boy.

"Kuropon!" Fai whispered. "Your little rain cloud is gone! I'm so happy for you!"

"You want me to kick you out?!" Kurogane snapped.

"No, Daddy," his roommate sighed. Kurogane shook his head and lay back down. He noticed as he closed his eyes that the room suddenly seemed quite a bit warmer.

* * *

**A/N: **Wow, I should totally not be writing this right now. I have two tests tomorrow that I ought to be studying for but… KuroFai stories are so much more fun! This turned out kind of weird, though. I'm not sure what to think of it…

So this is going to be my mini-series within the series. I'm not sure how many chapters of it there will be; probably like four or five. They may or may not be consecutive chapters, depending on what I come up with for the remaining prompts.

The next challenge is "scrutinize". Stay tuned!


	6. Scrutinize

**A/N: **Thank you for all your reviews. I really appreciate them. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that so many people figured out what Fai's deal was in the last chapter. I mean, I didn't make it that difficult to figure out… But I hope the ending of the mini-series still surprises you.

We're taking a small break from the mini series, I'm afraid, because I need to wait for a certain prompt before I can continue. Although if I get enough requests to continue it sooner, I could be persuaded to scramble my predetermined order accordingly…Yeah, so…I guess it's story time now, kids.

* * *

**Scrutinize**

Popcorn! Where the hell was the popcorn! He couldn't properly enjoy his soap without popcorn but every second he spent looking for it was one more second that he was missing of his precious program. A terrible thought occurred to him; what if the old lady had forgotten to buy it? The thought made him feel like falling over dead. He had specifically told her as she was leaving for the store not to forget the damn popcorn and there she had gone and done it anyway. He contemplated throwing himself on the floor and having a tantrum but then realized that every second he spent thinking about tantrums he could be having was also one more second that he was missing of his favorite show. Honest to god, if he wasn't able to mooch off of her like this he would never put up with her.

"Ma! Where's the popcorn?!"

"In the top drawer by the oven, Fei, honey!" his mother replied in a singsong voice.

Fei Wang Reed dashed over to the drawer, tore it open, snatched the popcorn greedily and raced back to his room in the basement. Such was his hurry that he hardly even bothered to give his usual snort of annoyance at the sign on his door that his mother had insisted on taping there (it read "Fei's Evil Lair of Doom". When he had irritably asked her what the hell was up with the sign, she had giggled and said "I know how you like to pretend to be the evil villain so I thought it was cute. Don't you dare take it down or I'll send you for a nice long timeout, mister, and then you'll make a new sign to replace it!" He honestly didn't know why he didn't just blow the old bat off. After all, he was, what? Fifty, sixty years old? But the fear that she might kick him out of her basement made him obey her).

The TV was already on, thank goodness, but then it usually was these days since his favorite show had been on twenty four hours a day, seven days a week for the past almost four years now. He loved it; it was better than those Twilight Zone marathons they showed during the week of the fourth of July. Fei Wang ripped open the cellophane that the bag of popcorn was wrapped in, tossed it haphazardly into the microwave and poked a button or two carelessly.

As he was waiting for his popcorn to be ready, he did a few stretches in front of the TV screen. While he definitely had no problem with his favorite show being on all the time for so long, it still had its downsides. For one, he was starting to put on weight from all the popcorn and sitting around. But he had decided a long time ago that he was willing to sacrifice his dashing good looks if it meant he could enjoy something as thoroughly as he was enjoying this show. Fei watched with relish as the "characters" went about their daily business nothing terribly exciting was happening at the moment but night was approaching and that was when things usually tended to heat up. Speaking of "heating up", the microwave chimed to let him know that his popcorn was done.

Fei Wang hurried to get his popcorn and plopped down in his chair for some quality soap opera action. He had the feeling that something special was going to happen with his favorite couple tonight and the thought made him squirm impatiently in anticipation. Something about the way Kurogane kept blushing randomly, refusing to look anyone in the eye and the way Fai hummed a sappy love song as he prepared dinner tipped him off. Fei Wang munched his popcorn impatiently; those two were obviously in love. They should have gotten together a long time ago. But this was a special night; this was the anniversary of their meeting each other. Fai obviously remembered because he had gone to the trouble to persuade the kids and the white creature to go have a night on the town and was putting extra effort into a special meal for two. Fei Wang couldn't be certain if Kurogane remembered that it was their anniversary, but if he knew the ninja at all (which he did, since he had been watching him almost constantly for nearly four years now), important details like this would not be overlooked by him.

When Fai lit a few candles on the dining room table and turned off the rest of the lights, Fei Wang began shoveling popcorn into his mouth almost frantically. Kurogane (whom he was watching on a split-screen) was pacing his room nervously. His clothes were a little dressier than usual, something which might have seemed unremarkable to anyone who didn't know better. The fact that Kurogane was willing to dress up at all, in spite of his usual seeming devil-may-care attitude, definitely said something significant. The anticipation of what lie ahead was almost too much for Fei Wang to bear. He needed to do something to speed things up a bit.

Fei Wang reached under his throne and pulled out the wireless keyboard that he stored there just for such occasions. He switched it on and a small black box appeared in the middle of the screen which bore the message "Would you like to fuck things up a bit?" This was the part that he loved most about this show: his ability to manipulate things that happened on it. It was like a "choose your own adventure" novel only it was a soap opera instead. But what could he do to speed things along here? He thought for a moment. Well, having them together in the same room would help. Perhaps he could make Kurogane imagine that he heard Fai calling for him.

Fei Wang had just executed the command when a very unwelcome voice interrupted his session of pure and terrifying evil.

"So this is what you've been doing down here all this time? Playing computer games? Aren't you a little too old to be doing that kind of thing anymore?"

Fei Wang snarled and peeked around the edge of his throne. There in his room stood his older sister Xiang Bong in all her stupid, ugly, butt-scented glory. She had a lot of nerve, not only to be in his room, but also to be interrupting him at such an exciting moment in his important business.

"What do you want, wench?!" he snapped. "Can't you see I'm busy?! And what the hell are you doing in my room?!"

"I just wanted to know where you'd been for the past four years," she shrugged. "I was starting to think maybe you'd finally kicked the bucket. You've been looking dreadful for such a long time, you know."

"Shut up!" Fei Wang groused. "You're just jealous because I was born with Daddy's chin and _you_ had to have surgery to get yours to look like that."

Xiang Bong snorted doubtfully as she perched herself on the arm of Fei Wang's throne and swiped a handful of his popcorn. "So what are we watching?"

"It's called Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles," he replied shortly, holding the popcorn as far away from her as possible. "And you can get your own damn popcorn."

She ignored the second part of his reply. "What's happening?"

"Those two have been hitting on each other since the beginning of the journey and tonight's the anniversary of their meeting so the blond one is making a romantic candle-lit dinner for them," he explained as Kurogane pulled Fai's chair out from the table so that the wizard could sit down. "It's about freaking time, too… They've been putting this off for way too long."

Xiang Bong stared at her brother incredulously. "So all this time you've been telling Mom you got a job as a super-villain you've actually just been down here watching soap operas?"

"I _am_ a super-villain!" he insisted. "What the hell else could I be, with a chin like this?!"

His sister laughed derisively. "A super-villain with a name like 'Fei Wang'? Yeah, _that_ sounds threatening. Sounds more like a pimp… or a sex toy… or some kind of ho. Hey, speaking of hoes, what happened to that girlfriend of yours? What was her name? Xing Hou? I haven't seen her around in a while."

"I killed her," Fei Wang growled impatiently. "Now be quiet."

"Oh, so that dead body I found in the trash was real, then? I figured it was part of some weird new 'game' you nasty couples like to play or something."

"Don't make me curse you, bitch!" he warned. "You're interrupting the best part!"

The siblings fell silent to watch.

"How do you like the soup, Kurosama?" Fai asked sweetly.

"Hmph," Kurogane replied stubbornly, bowing his head to hide his blush. "I guess it's not completely disgusting."

"Hold on…" Xiang Bong interrupted again. "That blond one… is a _guy_?"

"Yes! Now shut up!" Fei Wang hissed.

"Your eyes look really beautiful in this candlelight, Kurochuu," Fai purred seductively.

Kurogane just bent lower over his bowl of soup, blushing furiously as he tried to ignore his pounding heart and just finish his food. Fai reached across the table and softly touched the ninja's cheek.

"Don't be shy, Kurochan," he urged. "The children are gone and that means that Mommy and Daddy finally have a little time to themselves. Let's not waste it, ok?"

Kurogane lifted his gaze hesitantly and finally looked Fai in the eyes. Fai smiled warmly, taking Kurogane's hand as he stood up from the table. Kurogane followed suit. Fei Wang and Xiang Bong drew tentative breaths and gripped each other's arms in excitement. The couple on screen stepped away from the table so that they could draw each other closer uncertainly. Fai put his arms around Kurogane's shoulders and closed his eyes as he laid his head against the swordsman's chest. Kurogane tangled his fingers into Fai's hair, his other hand resting on Fai's slender waist. Finally, Fai lifted his head to look Kurogane in the eyes again.

"Kurotan, I… is it alright… if I fall in love with you?"

"…I guess."

"Good, because I already have."

Fei Wang and Xiang Bong both sighed dreamily in unison. The two of them were so absorbed in watching Kurogane and Fai's ensuing passionate kiss that they didn't even hear their mother calling them to give her her sponge bath.

* * *

**A/N: **You know, it's funny; I tried out four very different ideas for this prompt, all of which took what seemed like an excruciatingly long time to write but I got the idea for this one this morning and finished it in less than a day. Funny how these things work, isn't it? But I figured it was about time we had another dose of crack. The last few installments have been kind of on the serious side. 


	7. Kludge

**A/N:** I can't really think of anything that needs to be said for this one so I'll just start by defining the word "kludge" for everyone as it is given in the Oxford Pocket American Dictionary of Current English. Kludge /klooj/ _n. sl. _**1** an ill-assorted collection of poorly-matching parts. **2 **_computing _a machine, system or program that has been badly put together.

Right, story time!

* * *

**Kludge**

Kurogane stared suspiciously at the box that sat in the middle of the living room of his small apartment. It must have been delivered sometime that day because it certainly hadn't been there when Kurogane had left for class that morning. The card that had been taped to the top had been simple and would have seemed completely innocent, even heartwarming, if it hadn't borne the signature of his insane landlady, Yuuko. _Kurogane, I saw him and immediately thought of you. Take good care of him and have a merry Christmas! Your landlady, Yuuko. _That immediately put the boy on his guard; Yuuko never gave anything away for free. Not unless it would maim, gore, harass or repulse the recipient, a thought which seemed to bring her great amusement. She and Kurogane had never been on the best of terms either, so her sending him a gift was extra unusual, even if it was almost Christmas.

The other thing about it which made him hesitant to open it was the fact that Yuuko had referred to the item as a "he" in her card. Kurogane supposed that its having a gender didn't necessarily mean that it was alive. After all, it could be some kind of My Size Ken doll or something stupid like that (he shuddered at the thought, though an oversized doll didn't seem like a threatening enough possibility. Perhaps it was one that could shoot laser beams from its eyeballs). Her referring to the mystery object as a "he", however, made Kurogane highly suspicious that there was some living thing inside; maybe a bear that would maul him and chew his face off. But the box was perfectly still, so there was a possibility that whatever it was had frozen to death while waiting for him to return from school. That thought wasn't especially appealing either.

Then there was the sheer size and weight of the thing. The box came up to his waist and he'd just barely been able to fit his arms around it to drag it inside. Getting it into the living room had not been an easy task, even though Kurogane worked out at the gym at school regularly. It had to be a good 250 pounds. _Maybe it's a bomb_, he thought sardonically. Then he decided that it probably wasn't a bomb because if it went off when he opened it, it would blow up at least a good portion of the apartment building and thereby destroy Yuuko's means of livelihood.

Eventually, he decided that he might as well just open it. It wasn't like he really cared or anything but he had to admit that maybe he was just the tiniest bit curious to see what was inside. Anyone would be in his situation, right? Besides, him ignoring it didn't ensure that he would be safe from its possible wrath. And if the thing had died in there then it was going to thaw and rot in his living room. That would just be gross. Yuuko would probably have him evicted for the smell, the heartless bitch. Kurogane took a deep steadying breath and cautiously approached the suspicious box, using his pocket knife to cut open the tape and flat plastic straps that held it closed. He pulled open the cardboard lid and found… another Styrofoam box inside.

The boy growled and set to work tearing the cardboard box apart so that he could better access the Styrofoam box. He noticed as he ripped away at the cardboard that there were no air holes in either box. That alleviated some of his anxiety; most likely, then, it wasn't (and never had been) alive. But then, this was Yuuko he was dealing with; underestimating her could be the last mistake a person ever made. Kurogane carefully tipped the Styrofoam box on its side so that he could pull the lid off. It took a bit of persuasion but finally, with an irritating squeak, the lid popped off.

He looked at the item inside and blinked, hardly daring to believe that what he was seeing was real. It couldn't be. There was no way Yuuko would spend that kind of money on someone she didn't even like. Yet there it was, curled up and naked inside the careful packaging: his very own persocom. When some of his shock had gone, Kurogane snarled again. It was his very own _male_ persocom. If that psychotic bitch was going to spend this amount of money on him, the least she could do was get him a female one. Not that he especially cared one way or the other, but most guys who owned persocoms had ones that were shaped like women. If people saw him walking around with this pretty-boy computer, they were going to think…

Kurogane heaved a sigh and ran a hand backward through his hair. He didn't own a computer right now and was too poor to buy anything better than this. Plus, this persocom was kind of good-looking, he supposed. He had longish blond hair that framed a pale face with a realistic hint of pink in the cheeks. His frame was impossibly thin and fairly tall, yet there wasn't anything awkward-looking about it. Long, slender legs were pulled up to a smooth, perfect chest, arms wrapped delicately around them and head resting lightly on the knees. If Kurogane hadn't known better, he would have guessed that it was a real person that was just sleeping…naked, in a Styrofoam box…in the middle of his living room floor. But there were the tell-tale persocom ears to prove that it was, in fact, only a machine.

Kurogane reached out and touched the computer's shoulder experimentally, surprised to find how soft and supple the skin was. But why the hell did it have to be naked? People brought these things home to their families, right? Would parents really allow their children to gather around excitedly and watch Mom or Dad boot up the new family computer when it was shaped like a human and 100 percent butt-naked? Maybe it had been wearing clothes and Yuuko had taken them off before giving it to him, just to fuck with him. That would be so like her. She might even be watching his reaction right now through some hidden camera that she had put on the persocom somewhere. Kurogane snorted and folded his arms, doing his best to look completely unimpressed in case she was watching. Even if his curiosity had gotten the better of him and made him open the box, he was not going to give her the pleasure of a big reaction.

Once he was satisfied with the amount of disdain he had shown towards the strangely extravagant gift, Kurogane began to wonder how one went about turning on a persocom. He looked around in the box for some kind of instructions but there weren't any. That, if nothing else, was definitely suspicious; all electronics, no matter how simple and straightforward they seemed, came with instructions just in case they fell into the ownership of the type of person who got confused by simply trying to change the channel on a TV set. As far as Kurogane was concerned, this qualified as definite proof that Yuuko had tampered with the computer in some way before so generously bestowing it upon him. The boy sighed resignedly. Since there were no instructions, he would just have to search the thing inch by inch until he found something that looked like it could be a power button.

* * *

An hour and a half later, Kurogane was nearly ready to scream in frustration. He had searched the stupid thing meticulously and still he had no idea how to turn it on. Kurogane looked down at his hands in disgust and decided that he'd better wash them; during his search, he had even tried pushing the nipples in case one of them was the power button and eventually had given a quick once over to a place a little farther south (though he saved _that_ area as an absolute last resort, of course). Even though the thing was only a computer and therefore left nothing on his hands after the search, he still felt the need to sanitize himself on principle.

Although he was glad he had gotten that particular place out of the way, he was now left thoroughly perplexed. Kurogane was sure that he had searched absolutely everywhere… He sighed, sitting back on his heels. Maybe it wasn't a computer, after all. Maybe Yuuko had just made an elaborate fake and sent it to him so that she could have a good laugh at him as he drove himself crazy looking for the stupid on-switch. He glanced dispiritedly at the useless thing on the floor before him. Its mouth had come open slightly, presumably when he had been shifting its body around in his search for the power button. Kurogane reached out absentmindedly to push its mouth closed when something inside it caught his eye and he instead squeezed the cheeks slightly so that he could open the mouth wider to get a better look.

He couldn't believe it; there the damn thing was, sitting right there in the center of the computer's tongue. Kurogane smacked a hand to his forehead in frustration. That meant that he had done the creepy anal-probe thing for no reason. He began to extend a finger so that he could push the button but then he paused again uncertainly. Even though he was relieved about finding the power button in only the fourth most disgusting place that he could think of it to be (the top three places will be left up to the reader's imagination), he still felt a little iffy about putting his finger in its mouth. What if it bit him when he turned it on? Kurogane then decided that he was really too sick of playing these paranoid mind games with himself to care and just stuck his finger in and pushed the button.

To his profound relief, the computer did not bite him, but as it powered up the inside of the mouth became disturbingly realistically wet and he swore he felt it sucking on his finger for a second before he jerked it away in disgust. The computer's eyelids parted slowly, revealing stunning sapphire eyes which glimmered as lights flashed on and off behind them. Kurogane could only watch in stunned silence as the machine picked itself up gracefully off the floor and stood before him, its lifelike golden hair fluttering in the nonexistent breeze. After a few seconds, the computer had apparently finished its startup process because it looked down at him suddenly and gave him friendly smile.

"Good evening. Please state your desired username. This is what your computer will call you, and this name will be visible to other users on your network so be sure to choose accordingly," the computer said in a highly synthesized voice.

"Huh?" Kurogane asked, frowning.

"One moment please… User 'Huh?' is now registered," his computer informed him serenely.

"Hey! Hold on, you idiot computer!" Kurogane snapped. "I didn't say I wanted that as my username!"

"Hmm? Do you wish to change your username?" it asked angelically, the synthesized voice now being replaced with something more realistic.

"No shit, I do!"

"What would you like to change your username to?"

"My name is Kurogane."

"One moment please…Username change request denied."

"Hah?! WHY?!"

"I don't like it…It's not cute enough," the computer said slowly, apparently searching its imagination for a better alternative.

"I DON'T GIVE A SHIT IF IT'S CUTE OR NOT!!" Kurogane roared. "THAT'S MY NAME SO JUST CHANGE IT, DAMMIT!!"

The computer snapped its fingers suddenly. "Suitable replacement username found. One moment please… User 'Kurosama' is now registered."

"HEY!! I DIDN'T AGREE TO THAT!!" the boy raged. "CHANGE IT BACK TO KUROGANE!!"

"Request denied," the computer chirped happily. "A user may only change their username once within the span of two weeks. My name is Fai, by the way. Nice to meet you, Kurosama!"

"YOU JUST MADE THAT RULE UP, YOU ASSHOLE!! CHANGE IT RIGHT NOW BEFORE I DECIDE TO RIP YOU APART AND SEND YOU BACK TO THE FACTORY!!"

The computer was about to reply when there was a knock on the door. Kurogane glared at Fai threateningly before stomping over to answer it. It was his neighbor, Watanuki.

"Um…I'm sorry to bother you so late, Kurogane san…" Watanuki said nervously as Kurogane's waves of anger crashed over him, "…but I was wondering if maybe you could just keep it down a little. My roommate and I are trying to sleep, so… Oh!"

Watanuki abruptly stopped speaking when Fai, who was still parading around in the nude, appeared at Kurogane's shoulder. Kurogane's neighbor's face turned scarlet.

"Hello! Are you Kurosama's neighbor?" Fai asked cheerfully. "I'm Fai! Nice to meet you!"

Watanuki dazedly shook the hand that the blond was offering, but refused to meet his eyes, instead looking pointedly at the top of Fai's head. "N…nice to meet you t-too, Fai san…I…I didn't mean to interrupt you two…. Just…wondering if you could tone it down a bit… That…That's all. Goodbye."

Kurogane's face was beet-red now too. "Hold it…! This is…! He-he's not my…! He's my computer! I just got him out of the box, so I haven't had time to… We weren't doing anything, dammit, so quit looking at me like that!"

"So…so this brand of persocom doesn't come with clothes when you buy it?" Watanuki asked, and Kurogane could hear the skepticism in his voice all too well. "Th…That's unusual…I've never heard of that before…"

"Look, it's true, alright!" Kurogane growled, clenching his hands into fists at his side. "This was how he came!"

"Yes, well… goodnight, then," Watanuki said, slipping quickly back into his own apartment before Kurogane could say another word.

Once Watanuki had gone, Kurogane slammed the door shut and whipped around to face Fai.

"Why the hell did you come over here, you bastard?!" he hissed dangerously, struggling to keep his voice down so that Watanuki wouldn't have to come back. Kurogane honestly didn't think he'd ever be able to face his neighbor again after this fiasco. "Did you see the way he…?! Dammit! I'll never be able to talk to that guy again now!"

"I was just trying to be friendly, Kurosama," Fai said matter-of-factly. "It's what persocoms are programmed to do. I can't help it if you decided to take all my clothes off before introducing me to him."

"I didn't…!" Kurogane sputtered indignantly. "Don't you dare try to pin the blame on me, you worthless pile of machinery!"

"Hmm? Well they put clothes on us at the factory and I've never been owned by anyone else," Fai told him, a sly grin spreading across his face. "So if you didn't undress me, then who did?"

"How the hell should I know?!" Kurogane snapped. "You heard me tell that guy, you were like this when I got you…It must have been my landlady, that bitch!"

Fai blinked at him. "Why would your landlady have done it?"

"I told you, because she's a bitch!" the boy snarled. "Anyway, I guess I'll have to give you some of my clothes… I'm sick of looking at that skinny white ass of yours."

"Eh?" Fai was smiling again as he tried to peek over his owner's shoulder at his face. "Was that a blush I saw just now, Kurosama?"

"No! Don't be a dumb ass! And get out of my face!" Kurogane growled, swatting him away, his blush deepening in spite of himself.

He went to his closet and dug out the smallest clothes he could find and tossed them at Fai roughly. Kurogane determinedly kept himself busy until he was sure Fai was done dressing and then turned around. Fai had done his best to put the clothes on, but even though they were the smallest pair of clothes that Kurogane owned, they were still quite a bit too big for Fai. The shirt was halfway down to his knees and the pants wouldn't even stay up. Kurogane sighed and threw Fai a belt. He watched absentmindedly as his new computer threaded it through the belt loops of the oversized pants, then shook his head.

"I'm going to bed," he grumbled, pulling his futon out of the closet and spreading it out on the floor. Fai looked on as Kurogane dug out five or six blankets, tossed them on top of his futon and turned off the light.

"That's a lot of blankets," he commented as Kurogane buried himself under them.

"This apartment building is old," the boy explained. "The heating system starts having problems at night so this is all I can do."

Fai watched for a moment more before saying "Shall I go into sleep mode, then?"

"Will it make you shut up?" Kurogane asked sleepily.

The persocom shrugged. "For a little while, at least."

"Then yeah."

"Ok, good night, Kurosama."

"…Whatever."

* * *

Kurogane awoke the next morning feeling pleasantly warm, something that very rarely happened during the winter. Maybe that cheap bitch of a landlady had finally decided to get the heating system fixed so that her tenants didn't have to suffer anymore. Kurogane snorted and rolled over, wanting to go back to sleep. Somehow the idea that Yuuko had gotten the heating system fixed in order to spare other people suffering seemed extremely unlikely. It was then that Kurogane noticed that his head was no longer on his pillow but something slightly harder and uneven.

Thinking maybe he had just rolled off of his futon, Kurogane slowly opened his eyes. That was his first big mistake of the day. Beautiful, flawless, snowy-white skin was what greeted him. Kurogane frowned. As far as he remembered, he lived alone but that wasn't his own skin that he was looking at. When he sat up, delicate slender arms slid off of his shoulders where they had been resting. Kurogane's eyes widened in horror. There was a weird, skinny blond guy in his apartment and Kurogane had apparently been sleeping with his head on the intruder's stomach. That wasn't even the worst of it; the guy was also butt-naked.

Kurogane made his second big mistake of the day when he shouted and scrambled away from blond. The intruder's eyes opened calmly and lights flashed from behind them, making their deep blue color stand out even more. He smiled cheerfully at the boy who was panicking against the far wall. When the blond sat up, Kurogane noticed the persocom ears and his memory of the previous night began to drift back to him. This person was not an intruder after all; it was only Fai, his (weird) new computer. Kurogane clutched at his chest, feeling his heart rate starting to return to normal. Still, his memory of last night distinctly included a scene of him giving Fai a pair of clothes to wear and himself crawling into his own bed to sleep. So why the hell had he awoken lying on top of a nude Fai? He looked hesitantly down at himself and breathed a sigh of relief when he found that at least he was still wearing clothes.

"Good morning, Kurosama," Fai purred.

"Don't you 'good morning, Kurosama' me, you weird bastard!" Kurogane choked. "Why did I wake up next to you and where _the fuck_ are your clothes?!"

Fai looked down at his own naked body in mild surprise. "I might ask you the same things, Kurosama. This is where I went into sleep mode last night, with my clothes still on, and I haven't moved until just now."

"Are you trying to say that I…?!" The words died out in Kurogane's throat and he found himself unable to continue in the face of Fai's audacity.

"Well, you did say that you always get cold at night and computers naturally give off heat as long as they are turned on," Fai pointed out, his smile widening.

Kurogane was still speechless.

"Don't worry, Kurosama," he giggled. "I'm not angry."

"Wh-why the hell would you be?! I'm the one who woke up and found my computer trying to rape me while I was asleep!" Kurogane managed finally.

Fai shook his head, still smiling. "I am not programmed with a sex drive, but I am programmed with complete honesty. It is literally impossible for me to lie to you, Kurosama."

"Bullshit!" Kurogane spat. "I sure as hell would never pull any of this type of crap! And if you don't remember doing it yourself, then you must be broken!"

Fai watched in amusement as Kurogane, scarlet-faced, stomped off to the kitchen to begin making breakfast for himself. His new owner really was cute when he was angry.

* * *

**A/N: **…What was that? I mean, obviously it was heavily influenced by Chobits, but… Where did that come from? I'm really not sure if I like it, although I will say that I'm much more satisfied with this than I am with my last one.

Anyway, I've decided "to hell with order; I'm gonna do these in whatever order I feel like. So there." I like to stick it to the man. But don't be expecting anything else until finals are done ; n ;


	8. Taboo

**A/N: **Remember how I said I wouldn't be posting again until after finals? Well, I lied. I'm such a horrible person :(

* * *

**Taboo**

Kurogane dropped into his chair, glaring as the teacher approached the skinny blond boy who had entered the room, battered and soaked to the bone. He didn't need to hear the ensuing conversation to know what was going to happen; he had seen it so many times already.

"Oh, Fai kun! Honey, what happened?! Why are you all wet?! And what have you done to yourself?!"

In spite of his numerous injuries and uncontrollable shivering, Fai smiled apologetically. "We were playing soccer at recess and the ball went over the fence into the creek," he explained, pushing dripping hair out of his heavy-lidded blue eyes. "I went to go get it and slipped on a patch of ice and fell in."

Kurogane gritted his teeth against his rising anger. He swung his head around to look at a group of boys who were sitting in the back of the classroom trying to look innocent and hiding their poorly suppressed laughter behind their hands or notebooks. When they noticed him glowering at them, their sniggers died down considerably. Kurogane rubbed his knuckles threateningly as they determinedly avoided his eyes. Those cowardly little bastards… if he wasn't almost just as annoyed with Fai, he'd go back there and smack their heads together. The teacher, however, seemed completely oblivious as usual.

"Why don't we get you down to the office and see about getting you some Band-aids and dry clothes, ok Fai kun?" the teacher offered gently, taking off her own coat and wrapping it around Fai's tiny trembling shoulders as she led him out of the room and down the hallway toward the office.

Kurogane shook his head in disgust. He had seen Fai in the office for similar reasons often enough to know that he was hardly any better off there than he was in the classroom with the little shits who had done this to him. That was because the people in the office, along with a startling majority of the town's population, thought Fai's mother to be a witch and Fai himself to be a bad omen. Kurogane, for his part, thought that this was stupid; he didn't believe in witches or bad omens, and his parents had told him that the reason people were so willing to go along with the outrageous stories was because they were eager to find any explanation for their problems besides themselves. Their teacher was the only one whom Kurogane had ever seen treat Fai kindly, but that was probably because she had just moved here recently and hadn't grown up with the stories of Fai's mother's supposed sorcery.

Once the teacher had left the room, the boys who were responsible for Fai's mishap burst out laughing.

"Did you see the way he squirmed?!" one of them choked, banging his fist on his desk.

"Yeah! We got him good, huh?!" another agreed, wiping away tears of laughter.

Kurogane threw his math book on the floor as hard as he could and the boys' laughing stopped. He glared at them as he bent down to pick it up.

"Oops," he muttered, pretending that he had just dropped it. The boys got the message, however, and quickly busied themselves with other things.

Kurogane hadn't seen them bullying Fai this particular time, but judging by what they had just said he could guess what had happened. They had probably ganged up on him, tossed him over the fence, then climbed over the fence themselves and held his head under the water in the creek. Since it was the middle of winter, that water would be freezing cold. The mere thought that someone could be so cruel to an innocent made Kurogane sick to his stomach. Not that he especially cared about Fai; in fact, Kurogane didn't really even like him. Fai liked to hang around him sometimes, and when he did the blond chattered endlessly and was always laughing and smiling and calling him girly nicknames. If Fai didn't already get the shit beat out of him on a regular basis, Kurogane probably would have punched him in the nose by now.

This abstinence had been hurting his reputation as a tough guy and general badass, some even going so far as to suggest that he and Fai were secretly crushing on each other. But these rumors died down rather quickly once Kurogane started prosecuting those who spread doubt about his manliness, hunting them down and handing out quite a few serious wedgies. Needless to say, Kurogane also spent his fair share of time in the office as well but he didn't care as long as it gave his rep the boost it needed (which it did). Still, even though Fai hadn't been spreading those stupid sorts of rumors himself Kurogane still hadn't really forgiven him. After all, if Fai didn't insist on hanging around him so much, the damn things never would have been started in the first place.

The teacher returned to the room, hung up her coat in the closet and started class. Kurogane couldn't believe she hadn't guessed by now who was really responsible for Fai's injuries. Of course, other kids, some who weren't even in their grade, bullied Fai too but the boys in their class were the worst. What bewildered Kurogane the most was the fact that Fai never told the teacher who was beating up on him and didn't seem to hold any resentment whatsoever toward the perpetrators. He had no intention of telling the teacher for him, though. This was Fai's fight and babying him wouldn't help him get any stronger.

* * *

Kurogane got on the school bus to go home (sometimes he walked home but he didn't feel like it today) and found it completely full, as usual, except for his regular seat. No matter how full the bus was the other kids knew better than to sit in his seat. Those who didn't know always found out soon enough, usually at the cost of having nightmares about wet willies for weeks afterwards. There was only one person who ever dared to sit next to him but Kurogane assumed that that person wouldn't be riding the bus today. He sat down at his seat, giving everyone who even thought about making eye contact a glare, just for good measure.

Just as the bus was getting ready to leave, the top of Fai's golden head appeared as he climbed the three steep stairs. His coat was torn and dirty and Kurogane could see some bruises and a nasty bump on his forehead yet Fai just smiled cheerfully as he slid into the seat next to Kurogane. The dark-haired boy heaved a sigh to show that he was displeased about this but didn't chase Fai away. He knew perfectly well that he was the only one who would allow Fai to sit with him, and this was why Fai was the only person who ever was permitted to do so. Kurogane looked at the blond with a raised eyebrow; he didn't understand how someone who was treated like dirt all the time could always seem so happy. Plus, he hadn't been expecting to see him on the bus since Fai hadn't returned to class after his incident.

"Hello, Kurotan," Fai chirped. "Happy to see me?"

"Tch," Kurogane snorted. "No. And don't call me that."

"Did we get any homework in class today?" Fai asked, his smile widening further. Kurogane wondered if smiling like that was making the cuts on his face hurt and he frowned at his classmate for a moment before answering. "Yeah, a math sheet. Teacher gave me an extra copy to give you."

He reached into his backpack and dug out his folder.

"Ah, I was afraid we'd get math today…" Fai said, his smile now tinged with regret.

"What, you don't like it?" Kurogane asked, handing him the sheet. "If you don't feel like doing it, then don't. It's not like the teacher will do anything about it."

"Kuropun, you naughty boy!" Fai scolded lightly. "You have to do your homework or else you'll build bad habits. But I really don't get what we're doing in math right now… I tried asking Mrs. Li for help but I still don't understand…"

Kurogane noted the way Fai kept glancing up at him hopefully and leaned back in his seat with a heavy sigh. "So you want me to help you? Is that it?"

Fai smiled apologetically again. "If you don't mind, I'd like that a lot."

* * *

Kurogane ended up getting off at Fai's stop so that he could come home with the blond and help him with his assignment. He figured he could just call his mother once he got there to let her know where he was. The two of them walked the short distance from the bus stop to Fai's modestly-sized house in silence, something which surprised Kurogane a great deal. He didn't think that Fai was capable of keeping his mouth shut for so long in his company. When he glanced over at the other boy to study his facial expression, he simply found him smiling as usual. No, he realized, this smile was a little bit different than the one he normally wore; it was softer, somehow, and… was he blushing? The coloring in his milky cheeks was pretty light so Kurogane wrote it off as a side effect of the chill. Once they reached Fai's yard, the blond flopped down on his back in the snow, spread-eagled.

"What the heck are you doing?" Kurogane asked, looking rather unimpressed.

"Making a snow angel, of course!" Fai trilled. "You make one, too, ok Kuropii?"

"No way, you look like an idiot doing that," the dark-haired boy growled. "And anyway, quit calling me those stupid names."

Fai just sat up, snatched Kurogane's hand and gave it a good, hard tug, causing him to fall on the ground next to him.

"Hey! What did you do that for, you jerk!" Kurogane snapped.

"You have to make a snow angel before you come inside," Fai ordered with a grin. "It's the rules."

"Idiot. You just made that up," he growled. In spite of his protest, he reluctantly complied. Then he stood up again and Fai did the same, stepping back to admire their work of art.

"Wai! Look Kurochii, it looks like they're holding hands!" Fai squealed happily. "Isn't that sweet?"

"No, it's stupid," Kurogane pouted, folding his arms defiantly. "And I thought I told you not to call me any more of those dumb nicknames."

"Aw, don't be such a party-pooper, Kurorin," Fai scolded playfully. He admired their snow angels for another second or two, then turned to go inside, leading Kurogane with him.

* * *

"Mom! I'm home!" Fai called as he shut the door behind them.

"Is that you, Fai?" His mother appeared in the entryway to greet them as they began to pull off their coats and gloves. She began to reach out to give her son a hug but stopped abruptly when she saw the state of his coat and face. The big, joyful smile that had been on her lips died immediately and was replaced with a much more serious expression.

"Oh, Fai, honey…" she breathed, running delicate fingers gently down his cheek. "What happened? You have bruises everywhere…and your coat is ripped, too…"

Fai threw a quick glance of uncertainty at Kurogane before shrugging and smiling that apologetic smile that he wore so often. "I was playing soccer at recess and the ball went over the fence and landed in the creek and when I went to get it, I slipped on a patch of ice and fell in."

Kurogane couldn't believe it! This kid wasn't even telling his own mother about what was going on?! Why the hell not?! Still, Kurogane kept his mouth shut and didn't contradict him. If Fai wasn't telling his own mother that he was being bullied then he probably had a good reason for it. Kurogane looked at her to see if she was buying his story. For a moment, her face was obscured by her extremely long, silvery hair so that neither of them could make out her expression. When she eventually lifted her face to meet her son's blue eyes, she had a sympathetic smile on her face.

"Poor baby," she cooed, kissing his forehead. Kurogane looked away, embarrassed by the display of affection. Not only that, but because of the way she was bending down to Fai's level, he could see right down her shirt if he cared to do so (which he didn't). Finally, her gaze fell on Kurogane and she straightened up and her smile became more cheerful.

"And who have you brought home with you, Fai?" she asked sweetly.

"Ah, this is Kurochuu," Fai replied enthusiastically. "He came to help me with my math homework since I'm having a little trouble with what we're learning right now."

"My name isn't 'Kurochuu'!" Kurogane snapped, blushing. "It's Kurogane!"

Both of them ignored that, causing to Kurogane to fold his arms again and sulk.

"You're having trouble in math?" his mother asked, looking surprised. "But that's always been one of your best subjects."

Fai shrugged again and continued to smile. "This unit is extra hard."

Kurogane narrowed his eyes at Fai suspiciously; the unit they were working on was not especially difficult and would be fairly easy for someone who was good in math. He wondered if Fai had some sort of sinister ulterior motive for bringing him here.

Fai's mother was speaking again. "Well, how unusual! Fai doesn't bring friends home very often! It's nice to meet you, Kurochuu!"

Kurogane glowered at her for the nickname as she shook his hand politely. Fai's mother laughed. "But are you sure you want this boy as your friend, Fai? He looks so grumpy!"

Of course, that comment only made Kurogane even angrier.

"Don't worry about Kurowanko," Fai assured her. "He looks mean but he's actually really sweet."

"I am NOT sweet!" Kurogane snapped, his hands balling themselves into fists. The two of them just laughed at him again and it didn't help that he could feel himself blushing again.

"Oh no, we've embarrassed him!" Fai's mother giggled. "But I guess he really is cute; I could always see you ending up with someone sweet and shy, Fai."

At that, Kurogane's blush deepened. What the hell was she implying with that comment?!

It didn't help that he felt Fai's hand suddenly brush softly against his as though he agreed with her.

"Well, I won't keep you from your homework any longer," Fai's mother sighed, putting a hand on her perfect hip. "Good luck, you two. Take good care of him, Kurochuu."

Kurogane gritted his teeth in annoyance but said nothing; they were just going to do a stupid math worksheet, it wasn't like they were getting married or anything! But if this was no big deal, then why was his heart suddenly beating so fast?

"Come on, Kuromyuu," Fai said, taking his hand. "My room is this way!"

Kurogane was too busy trying not to trip over their boots in the entryway as Fai pulled him deeper into the house to really notice the way Fai's affectionate touch made his hand feel all warm and tingly.

* * *

Kurogane took a deep breath, trying not to loose his temper with the blond, but it was so difficult when he kept insisting on making the most ridiculous errors. He would do unbelievably stupid things like add eight and two and somehow get thirty-four. It made Kurogane highly suspicious that Fai was being stupid on purpose, just to annoy him. And of course when Kurogane would yell at him for making idiotic mistakes, Fai would launch into a wave of crocodile tears and complain about what a mean teacher he was. He had just about had it with his classmate when Fai's mother knocked on the bedroom door and pushed it open.

"Sorry to bother you guys, but I thought you might like some cookies while you were working," she said.

"Yay!" Fai cheered. "Wait until you try them, Kuromin! My mom's cookies are the best!"

Kurogane snorted and turned his head away. "I don't like sweets," he grumbled.

"Now Kurowanwan, don't be so difficult!" Fai pouted, taking the plate of cookies that his mother was offering them. "How do you know that you don't like them until you've tried them?"

"You're the one who's being difficult, you jerk!" Kurogane retaliated. "You keep making all these stupid mistakes just to tick me off!"

Fai returned to his place as Kurogane's side as his mother began to slowly close the door. Kurogane saw her pause there, watching them, and he could almost swear that he saw tears in her eyes but then she shut the door with a snap, leaving the two of them to their work again.

* * *

It was almost six thirty by the time Kurogane could call his mother and tell her that they were finished. It had taken a grueling two hours to complete the sheet of thirty easy questions. After having to deal with the blond's stupidity for so long, Kurogane found himself all Faid out and glad to be able to go home. Fai waved to him from the window as he and his mother pulled out of the driveway. Kurogane sighed and leaned back in his seat, hoping that he never had to go back to that house to help Fai with his homework again.

* * *

If he thought Fai was going to ease up on him just because Kurogane had helped him with his homework once, he had another thing coming. In fact, Fai seemed to be hanging around him even more than usual, being chipper and loquacious and generally annoying. Kurogane tried half-heartedly to shake him off, thinking that this increased amount of time they were spending together would probably be noticed and taken by everyone else the wrong way. But although he refused to admit it, even to himself, Kurogane found that maybe he didn't completely hate Fai. Sometimes he was a tiny bit fun and even kind of cute. And Fai benefited because as long as he hung around with Kurogane, everyone else was too afraid to bully him like they usually did.

The only thing that really bothered him about spending time with Fai was the way it made him feel. Every time he thought about the blond, his stomach would begin to feel as though it was full of butterflies, his cheeks would feel hot for no reason and his lips would tingle as though he was longing for a taste of something that he couldn't quite put a finger on. Kurogane was beginning to worry that maybe there was something seriously wrong with him.

Not only was Fai making the choice to hang around him more, but Kurogane found himself deciding to walk him home to make sure that no one bothered him. He told himself over and over again that it was only because he hated watching Fai lie to Mrs. Li about where his injuries had come from whenever he got himself beaten up but the more he thought about it, the less sure he was. But aside from the worry that he was going completely bat-shit insane, things were going alright. And as everyone knows, when the author of a story says that things are going alright, that's the reader's cue that things are about to go to hell.

"Aw, Kuropiko is on cleanup duty today?" Fai pouted cutely. Now that his bruises were starting to fade, he was looking even cuter than usual and Kurogane had to constantly force himself not to look at him or else he would start blushing like a doofus, something that Fai was always quick to pick up on.

"If you want to get out of here so bad then why don't you help instead of just whining about it?" Kurogane growled as he dribbled the basketball and shot it expertly into the basket. Recess was being held in the gym today because the principal had declared it too cold for the children to be outside. Kurogane didn't especially like basketball but he had to occupy himself somehow during all these recesses that he spent with Fai or else the two of them would just be sitting around all the time, staring dreamily into each other's eyes. Although maybe some tiny portion of Kurogane didn't think that Fai's eyes were the most hideous things in the world, the dark-haired boy had quickly shoved that portion away into a closet, telling himself that he was _not_ going to turn into some mushy idiot.

"But I have piano lessons today so I have to go home right away after school," the blond explained. Kurogane wondered fleetingly who Fai's mother had been able to find that would be willing to teach her supposed bad omen of a son to play piano.

"Jeez, you're such a pain, you know that?" Kurogane grumbled, missing his next basket.

"What should I do?" Fai asked faintly. Kurogane knew that he was wondering about how he should get home without him around to act as his bodyguard.

"Can't you call your mom to come get you?" he asked.

"Our car broke down the other day so she's kind of stranded at home," Fai replied, that stupid apologetic smile of his making its appearance. "And she can't be outside in the winter for very long because her health isn't very good…"

Kurogane paused in his game of basketball, trying to decide on the safest way for Fai to get home. If he rode the bus, he would be in forced close contact with the kids who bullied him. If he walked, it would take him longer to get home and thus there was more opportunity for him to be attacked. Not only that, but temperatures were below freezing today and the walk to Fai's house took them along a somewhat secluded road. If Fai got into trouble he wouldn't easily be able to get himself to a safe place. It seemed like the bus was the best option.

"Maybe I should just skip cleaning duty," Kurogane mused.

Fai shook his head. "You can't do it again, Kurorun, or else Mrs. Li will send a note home to your mom, remember?"

Kurogane swallowed hard. He had forgotten about that. Even though his mother was always smiling, he was afraid of making her mad. But his mother being mad at him was less scary than what might happen to Fai if he went home by himself. Kurogane had noticed that since it had been so long since they had been able to take their anger out on Fai, the boys in their class were starting to get restless.

"I don't care if she gets mad," Kurogane decided. "I'm not gonna let you go home by yourself and get the crap beaten out of you just because of that."

Fai smiled sadly. "You really are sweet, Kurochan… No one has ever been this nice to me before…"

"I told you before, I'm not sweet!" Kurogane scoffed but he could feel his face getting hot. "I'm just doing this because…"

He stopped. Why _was_ he doing this? He personally got nothing out of it except more hassles. Also, he had been enjoying scaring the crap out of the other kids since he was in kindergarten which ruled out Fai's suggestion that he was doing it because he was sweet. The only other possibility that Kurogane could think of was that he was doing this because he had some sort of special feelings for Fai. What that feeling was exactly, the dark-haired boy didn't know; it wasn't especially pleasant, but when it was gone he found himself missing it somehow. Fai was still patiently awaiting the rest of his sentence, his head tilted quizzically to one side, a curious smile on his face.

"I'm doing it because you just look so freaking pathetic with bruises all over your face," he finished finally, not looking at the other boy.

Fai laughed. "If you say so, Kuropon."

The two of them stood there awkwardly for a moment against the wall of the gym, unsure what to say. Kurogane started suddenly when he felt Fai take his hand. He stared down at their intertwined fingers in stunned silence but made no move to pull his hand away.

"Kurokuro, there's…there's something I've been wanting to tell you," Fai said slowly.

Kurogane waited for him to continue but before the blond could coax the words out of his mouth, the bell rung signaling the end of recess. Fai hurriedly let go of his hand as the students began to head back to the classroom.

"Never mind, I'll…I'll tell you later, alright?" he assured him with a smile.

"Whatever," Kurogane said in a way that he hoped sounded apathetic. In reality, he found himself feeling a little bit excited for some reason. He shook his head; if Fai found out how unapathetic he really felt when he'd said that, he was pretty sure he'd never hear the end of it.

* * *

By the end of the school day, Kurogane was nearly going crazy. His desire to find out what Fai wanted to tell him and his anxiety about whether the blond would get home alright by himself made him antsy. When the bell finally rang, he shoved his way through the rest of the class who was heading in the opposite direction and stood at Fai's desk.

"I've made up my mind," Kurogane said firmly. "I'm skipping cleaning duty."

"And I've made up my mind that if you do I'll go get myself beat up on purpose," Fai said in a voice that was somehow cheerful yet just as firm.

"Don't be an idiot!" Kurogane snapped.

"Don't skip cleaning duty," Fai replied calmly. "I'm not gonna let you get in trouble just because of me. I'll be fine, alright Kurosama? Trust me?"

Kurogane glared at him for a moment. "Tch. Whatever. But if something happens to you, I don't care how bad of shape you're in; I'll kick your butt."

In spite of his rough words, Fai could hear the concern in the other boy's voice and it made him smile.

"Now what did you want to tell me?" Kurogane demanded, folding his arms and trying to fight off the blush that he could feel creeping into his cheeks.

As soon as he said that, he was no longer the only one of the two that was blushing. For some reason, seeing that delicate hint of pink on Fai's face made his heart beat faster. The blond opened his mouth but no words came out. Why? Why was it so easy for him to spout endless amounts of meaningless drivel yet he was unable to say what was really important? Seconds passed that seemed to contain an eternity. Kurogane was looking somewhat impatient. Fai closed his mouth again and looked down at the surface of his desk. He decided that this was neither the time nor the place for this conversation. If he didn't hurry, he was going to miss the bus.

"I…I'm sorry, Kuromu," he said with his characteristic apologetic smile. "I'm afraid I'll miss the bus and I don't want to rush what I was going to say… I'll tell you tomorrow, ok?"

Kurogane huffed irritably. "Hmph. Just hurry up and get out there, then."

"Goodbye, Kuropiko! See you tomorrow!" Fai called as he hurried out of the classroom.

Kurogane went to the window, wanting to at least watch and make sure that he got on the bus safely. As soon as Fai had climbed on, he breathed a sigh of relief and grudgingly tore himself away from the window to begin his tasks.

* * *

Fai realized just as he boarded the bus that he had forgotten his reading homework back in his desk. He bit his lip uncertainly, wondering if he should go back and get it or just forget about it. Kurogane's words of wisdom on the subject suddenly filled his head. _"If you don't feel like doing it, then don't. It's not like the teacher will do anything about it."_ Fai knew that the other boy was right but Mrs. Li was always so kind to him and he hated to see that look of disappointment on her face that she always got when someone didn't do their homework.

"Can you hold the bus for just one minute?" Fai asked the driver. "I forgot some homework back in the school.

The driver looked at him like he wondered if Fai was seriously asking him this but Fai dashed off the bus and back into the building.

* * *

As much as he liked Kurogane, Fai was relieved to see that his friend wasn't in the classroom when he reached it. He knew that the dark-haired boy would scold him for being so careless. Fai raced over to his desk, dug frantically through it until he found his reading anthology, shoved it into his backpack and hurried back to the bus… Or at least he would have hurried back to the bus if it hadn't already left without him.

Fai sighed deeply, clamping his eyes shut as he felt the familiar stab of heartache that always came when someone treated him like something less than human. Even though he had had to put up with such treatment all his life, it didn't make it any easier to stomach when it happened again and again. Since he had been spending so much time with Kurogane lately, who, despite his huffing and puffing and rough words, was actually quite sweet to him, Fai had found his faith in humanity very slowly being returned. How stupid of him. Hadn't he learned repeatedly that humanity didn't accept him as one of their own and as such that he should not expect or even hope to be treated as though he was? Fai wiped his eyes quickly started in the direction of home. His piano lesson was in half an hour and it usually took him at least forty-five minutes to get home on foot. Perhaps he could make it if he ran the whole way… The little blond took a deep breath and began running.

* * *

Fai's breath came in sharp, painful gasps as he choked on the frigid air. His mouth was so dry and his face, especially his lips and ears, stung from the cold. The rest of him was more or less numb but there was still enough feeling in his toes for them to also sting with every footfall. If he hadn't been so utterly miserable, he might have been frustrated by the way the snow slowed his progress, despite all his efforts. Still, he forced himself to keep running. His mother had worked hard to get this piano teacher for him and he wasn't about to miss his lesson just because of his own carelessness.

Fai readjusted the strap of his backpack. His reading anthology was heavy and Mrs. Li had given them math homework again so he was carrying his math book too. Readjusting his backpack did nothing; it was still just as agonizing as the two heavy books jostled around painfully, weighing down his tiny back and shoulders. Fai wished he could find something else to focus his mind on, other than his suffering, but it seemed that his fatigue wouldn't allow it. All he could think about was how much each step hurt, how parched his throat was, how freezing his body was, how tired his legs were. This may have explained why he didn't realize that he had company until a ball of what felt like solid ice suddenly collided with the back of his knee and made him fall down hard in the snow. Fai gasped in pain and whipped his head around to see who had thrown it.

"Nice shot, Fei!" shouted Kyle.

Fai's heart clenched with dread. There they were, the boys from his class that had always bullied him the worst: Kyle Rondato, Fei Wang Reed, Seishirou Sakurazukamori, and their teacher's (much younger) brother-in-law Shaoron Li. How long had they been behind him? It must not have been very long or else they would have attacked sooner. His thoughts became a blur as another ball of packed ice hit him squarely in the forehead. Fai cried out in pain as the next one smashed against the side of his face. He tried to scramble to his feet but his whole body was so tired and numb and cold that he was only on his knees before one of Syaoron's projectiles hit him in the chest, knocking the air out of him. The blond only managed to find his feet again when Seishirou seized him by the front of his coat and jerked him up to face him.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, Fai? How have you been?" Seishirou asked coldly.

Fai didn't dare answer, though his silence certainly didn't save him. When the boy failed to elicit a response from his terrified prey, Seishirou thrust him with all his might into the ground, forcing Fai to land hard on his back and once again knocking the wind out of him. Fai coughed harshly, trying to regain his breath, but Kyle shoved a ball of snow into his mouth. The little blond could taste blood as he frantically tried to draw oxygen.

Meanwhile, Shaoron and Fei were busy packing the half-frozen snow into ammunition. Fai managed to crunch the snow in his mouth, swallowing some and spitting out the rest which was red with his blood, so that he could finally get some air into his lungs. He gasped and choked, trying once again to force himself to his feet. Kyle kicked him hard in the back, knocking Fai down again face first in the snow, and put his foot on the back of his head to keep it there. Fai ground his teeth, trying not to cry out again as he felt a vicious, pointblank onslaught of hard snowballs, knowing from experience that this type of reaction only encouraged them. There was a brief pause in the torture, presumably where his attackers ran out of ammo, before he felt what was most definitely a rock smack into his leg.

What happened next was unclear to Fai, who was lying face-down on the ground, too battered and exhausted to roll over and have a look for himself. All he knew was that Fei and his lackeys suddenly stopped abusing him, though apparently they were still nearby because he could hear them shouting. There was a new voice present as well, though Fai's mind was in a haze of pain and was unable to identify it. Whoever had joined them seemed to be on Fai's side, or at least not on Fei's side; their shouts had changed from panicked to agonized. There was quite a lot of cursing going on as well. If Fai hadn't been in such a state, he might have been stunned by his classmates' choice of language.

Fai felt a mixture of deep relief, hope and terror when he heard Fei and his gang run off. With them gone, the visitor would be free to focus their attention on him. Given the fact that the whole town considered him something to be both feared and despised, Fai thought it unlikely that this new person was on his side. He clamped his eyes shut as he heard hurried footsteps approaching him. Fai was blinded momentarily when the person (with surprising care) turned him over onto his back. The blond blinked into the sudden daylight, willing his vision to come back faster. When he was finally able to make out a familiar shape bent over him, Fai actually managed a very weak laugh.

"Kurosama…Th-thank goodness…"

"Are you alright?" Kurogane asked urgently.

Anyone else might have scoffed at that question and responded with a snappy "Do I bloody look alright?!" but Fai was genuinely glad to see him so he just smiled.

"N…No," he admitted in a strangled whisper. "But…I w-will be, right? I have…f-faith in you…Kurowanta…"

That was all the speech that blond boy could manage before he passed out.

* * *

Kurogane had never felt more terrified in his entire life than when he turned Fai over onto his back after chasing off his assailants. Fai looked terrible, cuts and bruises standing out starkly against his ghostly white skin, and Kurogane could see blood on his lips. Trying to control the panic rising in his chest, the dark-haired boy gathered his injured friend into his arms as gently as he could and continued on his way home.

* * *

It was dark when Fai opened his eyes. He moaned as he suddenly became aware of his pain again, though it was decidedly less intense than he had expected it to be. Once he became accustomed to the throbbing pain all over his body, Fai noticed that someone was holding his hand and had begun to stroke his hair ever so softly when he had opened his eyes. It was too dark for him to see who the person was but he could only guess that it was the one he remembered being with when he had lost consciousness. At least, that's who he hoped with every particle of his being that it was.

"Ku…Kurotan…?" he tried hopefully.

"You…you idiot!" Kurogane croaked. "I t-told you to ride the b-bus home! What the h-hell did you walk for?!"

"I'm sorry…" Fai breathed, though his heart was soaring blissfully to find that Kurogane had stayed faithfully at his side this whole time. "I forgot some…homework back in my desk…I told the bus driver to wait but…it was gone by the time I came back…"

"Y-you said you'd be alright, you j-jerk! I knew you w-wouldn't be! But you had to p-pull that 'trust me' c-crap, so I…" Kurogane broke off, taking several deep breaths to calm himself. It wasn't until then that Fai noticed how badly the dark-haired boy's hand and voice were shaking.

"You're shaking…" Fai said slowly. He distinctly heard Kurogane sniffle, and this confirmed his suspicions. "Kurochan…are you…Were you…crying?"

Kurogane did his best to sneer offhandedly at Fai's question like he usually did when the blond said something stupid, but Fai was almost sure he could make out Kurogane's dark shape hastily wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "D-don't be stupid! Why the h-hell would I be crying over you?!"

Fai felt a bit guilt for mentioning it and bruising his friend's fragile ego so he simply dropped the subject. "Where…are we…?"

"My room," Kurogane replied, sounding relieved that Fai had decided not to push the subject. "I h-hope you're h-happy…Making me d-drag your s-stupid butt all the way home… forcing me to g-give you my bed…w-worrying m… my mom… and you own m-mom…"

"Oh, that's right!" Fai gasped. "I have to call her and tell her where I am…!"

"My mom already c-called her and…told her what h-happened. Sh-she said she'll be over as s-soon as your d-dad gets home from work with the c-car…" Kurogane assured him. Fai gave the other boy a small, apologetic smile, bringing his other hand, with difficulty, to rest soothingly on top of Kurogane's.

"I'm sorry for worrying you so much, Kurochuu," he whispered. "And thank you for taking care of me…"

Although Fai's wounds were still stinging painfully, he could tell that they had been medicated and bandaged and could feel the warm weight of several blankets spread over him. He also noticed with a start that his clothes had been changed as well; he knew that he hadn't gone to school wearing sweatpants and a tee-shirt.

"Tch…like I had a choice," Kurogane grumbled embarrassedly. "If you would have died… I probably would have been blamed for it, somehow…"

Fai smiled to himself; even though it was too dark for him to see, he could tell that Kurogane's face was bright red right now.

"Hey…what did you want to tell me before?" Kurogane asked eventually.

Fai's heart suddenly began to flutter nervously in his chest. He had no excuse not to tell Kurogane now. The mood and setting was perfect and there was no rush this time. The blond took a deep breath.

"Come a little closer," Fai whispered. "It's a secret."

Kurogane bent down, putting his ear closer to Fai's mouth. Fai hesitated for only a second before pressing his lips shyly against the dark-haired boy's cheek.

"I…I really like you, Kurochan."

Kurogane was frozen briefly from shock. He would be lying if he said that he hadn't been hoping to hear this from Fai, but he hadn't actually expected that it would happen.

"Tch," he said finally. "You're… you're so stupid…"

Fai grinned, hearing the pride and affection in Kurogane's voice. His breath caught in his chest as Kurogane touched his lips softly to his and gently caressed his face. And for the first time in his life, Fai felt that perhaps were was hope for him after all.

* * *

**A/N: **Hmm… how was that? Was it ok? I think so, right?

For those who haven't read the Horitsuba omakes, "Shaoron" is the AU name given to clone Syaoran. And if you were wondering, Mrs. Li is Sakura. She and Syaoran got married. Hurray.

Ok, I'm going back to studying now. For real this time. I ought to be back in about a week. Bye bye!


	9. Insolence

**A/N: **Hurray for Christmas break! Here is the next chapter in the mini-series. Enjoy!

* * *

**Insolence**

Kurogane's brow furrowed in his sleep; he really _really_ didn't feel like waking up yet but he got the sickening feeling that he was extremely hot, pissed off and being watched. He kicked off all his blankets, hoping that this would solve at least one of his three problems. This did nothing for him, although he thought he might have heard the person who was watching him give a little squeal of delight and that only pissed him off more. When it became apparent that none of his problems involved solutions that he could perform with very little effort while still remaining mostly asleep, Kurogane grudgingly opened his eyes.

"Good morning, Kurochuu," the person who had been watching him cooed. "Has anyone ever told you that you're especially handsome when you're sleeping? I wanted to give you a kiss, but I didn't want to risk waking you."

"What the hell are you doing in my bed again, you bastard?" Kurogane growled savagely, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Don't you remember, Kuropon?" Fai asked innocently. "You invited me here last night."

Kurogane was about to snap back that he would never in a million years do such a stupid and disgusting thing, but then the events from last night rolled over on him like a boulder and he realized that Fai was, in fact, telling the truth and he really had invited his roommate into his bed. He gritted his teeth in frustration at himself.

"Well, you're uninvited, now get the hell away from me," he grumbled, flopping back onto his pillow. "I'm trying to sleep."

"Ah, ah, Mr. Grumpy Pants," Fai scolded playfully. "You can't go back to sleep now! You have to go to class!"

"Shut up; there is no class today! It's a Sunday!" Kurogane snarled.

"Ooh, so Kurochii really is smart, after all," the blond marveled. "How unexpected!"

"Yeah, surprise, surprise," the Kurogane muttered darkly. "So, you gonna screw off, or what?"

"No," Fai purred. "If Kurowanwan is going to insist on going back to sleep, then I insist on getting to lie next to him and watch him."

The dark-haired boy let out a long, irritated sigh as he realized that he wouldn't be getting anymore sleep for now and rolled out of bed.

"Dammit," he spat, running a hand backwards through his unruly black hair. "Why the hell is it so freaking hot in here?! It was freezing last night!"

"No idea, Kurorun," Fai chirped happily. "So, what kind of fun are we going to have together today?"

"Tch! I'm not your babysitter, you ass!" Kurogane snapped. "Find your own damn fun and leave me out of it!"

"Hmm? But I wanted to spend the day with my new best friend Kuronta…" Fai pouted cutely.

"Tell it to someone who cares," Kurogane retaliated as he dug some jeans and a black t-shirt out of his closet. "I'm gonna take a shower."

A mischievous grin curled its way around Fai's lips at that comment. Kurogane was just about to step out into the hallway, but then he turned around to glare at his new roommate. "And if you even _think_ about trying to follow me into the shower, I'll kick your scrawny little ass. I'm serious, you bastard."

"Nyaaa, Kurokuro caught me…" Fai said mournfully, turning his back on the taller boy in disappointment. Then he spun back around, smiling brightly once more as another thought occurred to him. "But you know, Kuropyon, if you kick my butt that means you'll have to touch it! Tee hee!"

Kurogane slammed the door in response and stomped off down the hallway. He just hoped Fai hadn't caught the slight blush on his cheeks before the door had closed between them. Not that Fai had caused it (it was because their room had been so hot, that was all…) but he wouldn't want that jerk to get the wrong idea. It would only encourage him.

* * *

Kurogane returned to his room still feeling irritated. He was pretty sure when he had entered the shower that his threat had done the trick, but Fai hadn't seemed as intimidated by him as most people were and that made him nervous. That meant he had to keep looking over his shoulder to make sure the blond didn't try to sneak in and try anything. As someone who had spent most of his life in the role of intimidator, he was extra unenthusiastic about finding himself in the position of the victim, especially when it was someone as scrawny and seemingly harmless as Fai that he was up against.

He pushed open the door to his dorm. Fai was lounging on his own bed for once, presumably waiting for Kurogane's return. The blond sat up interestedly when he saw that his roommate was back. Kurogane did his best to ignore him but he could feel Fai's gaze burning into his back and his cheeks getting a little bit hot again. Once again, Kurogane managed to mostly convince himself that the only reason that his face was going red was because it was still so damn hot in this stupid room, but honestly he wasn't so sure that was true.

"So, did you think of anything fun for us to do today, Kuropiko?" he asked serenely.

"I already told you, you bastard, that you're not hanging out with me," Kurogane growled. "Isn't there someone else you can annoy?"

"Probably," Fai smiled, "but no one who would be as fun as you, Kuropii. Anyway, you can say that you don't like me all you want, but you're wearing the friendship bracelet I gave you, so I know how you really feel!"

"Tch! Don't get the wrong idea," Kurogane warned, rubbing the bracelet absentmindedly. "I'm just wearing it because it suits me. This doesn't mean that I want to skip around campus holding hands with you or anything."

"Whatever you say, Kuromin," Fai smirked knowingly. "You're so cute and shy!"

"DAMMIT!! I'M NOT CUTE AND I SURE AS HELL AM NOT SHY!! TRY SAYING THAT AGAIN AND I'LL MAKE YOU WISH YOU'D NEVER BEEN BORN!!" he raged.

Fai wasn't paying attention to his rant, however; he sniffed at the air curiously, glanced over at Kurogane and then pounced on him suddenly, burying his face in the dark-haired boy's shirt.

"Wh-What the hell are you d-doing?!" he sputtered indignantly.

Fai inhaled deeply and then let out his breath in a contented sigh. "Your soap smells so nice… I could lie here and cuddle you and breathe it in all day long…"

"Well, you're not going to," Kurogane assured him, plucking him off. "I've got stuff to do and none of it has anything to do with you."

* * *

Kurogane stomped along the sidewalk, wondering how in the hell he got himself into these things. He knew he never should have invited Fai into his bed last night. Now here he was, walking around the mostly empty campus, holding Fai's hand, and at least one of them was skipping (and it wasn't Kurogane). He was so glad that there was almost no one else out here at this hour. Kurogane tried one more time, in vain, to extract his hand from Fai's but that only made the blond hold on tighter.

"So where are we going, Kuronpyu?" he asked joyfully.

Kurogane wiped the sweat off his forehead. Even though they were out of their oven of a room, it was still almost unbearably hot, and that did nothing to help his mood.

"Tomoyo wanted to go shopping or something," he grumbled.

"Hmm? So Kurowankoro is letting Tomoyo chan drag him along on a shopping trip?" Fai giggled. "That doesn't sound like something you would do, Kuronpu!"

"Well, I was hoping that if I went I could avoid having to look at your stupid face all day," Kurogane sighed. "But I guess that's not gonna happen."

"Nope," Fai agreed, snuggling his cheek against the taller boy's arm. "I wish I could meet Tomoyo chan! I'm curious to see what kind of person would stick around with a meanie like Kurochuu for so long."

"If you don't like the way I treat you, then you can leave!" Kurogane snapped. "No one's stopping you!"

"Well, even though Kurobun isn't very nice he's still wearing my friendship bracelet so I know that means he really likes me," Fai trilled.

Kurogane opened his mouth to protest but he was cut off by his cell phone ringing. He dug his phone impatiently out of his pocket and flicked it open.

"Yeah?"

"Hello, Kurogane," Tomoyo's voice said. "I hope you're not waiting for us."

"Of course I am! You told me to be here at nine thirty, right?" he growled.

"Well, I'm afraid there's been a change in plans; we're going to have to cancel our shopping trip for today," Tomoyo told him mournfully.

"Huh?! You mean you made me get up early for nothing?!" he spat.

"I'm sorry, Kurogane," she sighed. "I completely forgot that the meeting for all freshman who want to be in the choir is being held today. I guess we'll just have to reschedule."

"Forget it; I really didn't want to go anyway," Kurogane said.

"Oh, don't be silly, Kurogane," Tomoyo scolded playfully. "Of course you wanted to go. And I wanted so badly to meet Fai san… Maybe next weekend, hmm?"

"Hmph. Whatever," Kurogane grumbled. "Bye."

"Was that Tomoyo chan?" Fai asked as Kurogane hung up. "What did she say?"

"She said we're not doing anything… Something about a meeting for freshmen or whatever," Kurogane answered irritably, stuffing the phone back into his pocket.

"Oh… I guess that means Kurosama and I have no choice but to do something by ourselves," Fai grinned.

"Huh?" Kurogane said in disgust as he looked down at the blond who was clinging to his arm.

"It'll be like a date!" Fai laughed, clapping his hands.

"Are you stupid or something?" Kurogane growled. "For one thing, I don't wanna do anything with you and for another thing, it wouldn't be _anything_ like a date, you dumb ass!"

"I know what we can do!" Fai gasped excitedly. "We can go shopping anyway! It'll be so much fun!"

"Tch. Forget it," he replied. "I'm not interested."

"Aw, you're no fun, Kurochin!" Fai whined.

"I guess as long as we're out here already, we might as well have something to eat…"

"Hmm? Are you hungry, Kuropun?" the blond asked.

"Yeah," Kurogane admitted.

"Well, I guess I'll come too then," Fai decided. He hugged Kurogane's arm again and the two of them started off toward the dining hall.

* * *

Kurogane shivered as he sat down with his food. Apparently it wasn't just their room whose temperature controls were a little messed up; it seemed that they weren't working right here, either. After all, it hadn't been cold like this when they had entered the building. Fai was already waiting for him at the table but it seemed that he wasn't hungry because he hadn't gotten any food.

"Aren't you eating?" Kurogane asked, taking a bite of his rice.

Fai shrugged. "I'm not really hungry."

"Tch. You should eat something anyway," Kurogane mumbled. "You look like you'll disappear if you skip any more meals."

"Hmm…" his roommate replied noncommittally. Kurogane rubbed his hands on his arms as the temperature seemed to decrease even further. "Could Kurowanko be worried about me, I wonder?"

"Don't be an idiot," he growled. "Why the hell would I care if you disappeared?"

An awkward silence descended over them as Kurogane continued to eat and Fai watched him almost longingly. Once again, Kurogane got the overpowering feeling that something about Fai wasn't right but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. He decided he would just have to watch the blond closely and try to figure it out for himself.

"Ah, Kurogane san!" someone said from somewhere nearby. Kurogane looked around curiously and his eyes fell on a girl that he recognized as Tomoyo's roommate, even though the two of them had only met once. He was pretty sure that her name was Sakura. She approached his table somewhat timidly. "Good morning. Is…is it ok if I sit with you?"

Kurogane's breath was clouding in front of his face now, it was so cold. He raised an eyebrow at Fai but Fai wasn't looking at him. His usually sparkling blue eyes were hidden behind a curtain of blond hair so that Kurogane couldn't see them. There were only two chairs at their table and really not much room for a third person but he couldn't just send Sakura away.

"Fine," Kurogane agreed when it became clear that Fai wasn't going to say anything.

Sakura smiled brightly and set her tray of food down on the table and grabbed an extra chair from one of the neighboring tables. She too shivered as she sat down and rubbed her hands on her arms.

"Goodness, why is it so cold over here?" she asked.

As soon as she sat, Fai's head jerked to look at her in surprise.

"Hello," she said to Fai brightly. "I don't think we've been introduced yet. I'm Sakura. Are you Kurogane san's roommate Fai san?"

Fai just gaped at her. "You…you can…?"

Kurogane and Sakura looked at each other in puzzlement, each wondering what in the world Fai was so surprised about. When Fai realized that he was staring, he shook his head and smiled at Sakura.

"Sorry, I was just surprised that you were able to… remember my name even though we've never met before…" he explained hesitantly. Kurogane frowned suspiciously. Sakura remembering his name even though they had never met before was slightly remarkable but not enough to illicit such surprise as Fai had just displayed. That guy was hiding something again.

"Well, Kurogane san told us all about you," Sakura explained sweetly. "And by 'us' I mean my roommate Tomoyo chan and I."

Fai glanced mischievously in Kurogane's direction but Kurogane was looking determinedly the other way. "Oh, so Daddy's been talking about me, hmm? How cute!"

Kurogane unfolded his arms as the temperature rose considerably to something more normal, but again was feeling too indignant to really notice. "Only so I could tell them what a freak you are!" he insisted, blushing slightly. "It's not like I had anything good to say about you!"

"No, remember, Kurogane san? You said that Fai san was kind of pretty," Sakura reminded him unhelpfully.

"Hmm? Kurotan thinks I'm pretty?" Fai squealed happily.

"Big deal! That doesn't mean anything!" Kurogane snapped. "Even rocks can be pretty!"

"Kuromin gave me a compliment!" he sang. "And now he's getting all blushy about it! Hyuu hyuu!"

"I'M NOT BLUSHING!!" he roared, only causing his face to burn even more.

"What else did he say about me, Sakura chan?" Fai asked eagerly.

"Umm, well… the rest of the stuff wasn't very nice," she admitted sheepishly.

"Damn right it wasn't!" Kurogane growled, avoiding both of their sets of eyes carefully. "Why the hell would I have anything nice to say about a dumb bastard like you? Jeez."

Before anyone could contradict him, Kurogane hurriedly got up from the table to put away his breakfast dishes.

* * *

By the time that they had returned to their rooms, Kurogane had made an important deduction; something about Fai was _definitely_ fishy. Before he hadn't been quite sure that there was really something strange about him but now he was positive. He was even beginning to think that maybe Fai had something to do with the weird fluctuations in temperature, though he couldn't imagine how.

Then there was the matter of that tattered black duffle bag. So far, Kurogane hadn't seen Fai take anything out or put anything into it but the blond seemingly made it a point to keep it close by whenever they were in the room. Whenever Kurogane went near it, he noticed a strange smell coming from inside. He felt silly that wanting to know what was inside it was bothering him so much but he just couldn't help himself; it was the only belonging that Fai seemed to have aside from the clothes on his back and the way he kept it so close to himself all the time told Kurogane that it probably contained something of great importance to the blond.

His chance to do a bit of exploring in the black bag department arose later that afternoon when he came back from setting up his bank account. Kurogane opened the door and found, to his surprise, that Fai was nowhere to be seen. His black duffle bag, however, was sitting right there in plain view on top of Fai's bed. It must not be anything really personal or he probably would have at least tried to hide it, Kurogane figured. With a final cautious look around the room, Kurogane moved closer to the bed where the duffle bag sat luring him closer. He could smell the contents as he approached; whatever it was, it smelled a little like rotting meat.

Kurogane paused, eyeing the bag warily. He wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to open something that smelled like that. Plus it had a strange sort of aura about it that made Kurogane very uneasy. But he was already almost there and who knew when he would get another chance to look. Now that he was a mere foot and a half away from it, Kurogane thought he might be able to see the bag moving ever so slightly. It wasn't the fitful motion of a trapped animal; this movement was even and rhythmical. That only served to confuse him farther. What the hell? Just as he was extending a slightly trembling hand toward it, the door to his room suddenly swung open causing him to jump guiltily. There in the doorway stood Fai and his eyes were wide with shock or horror or maybe anger (Kurogane couldn't tell which) when his gaze fell on his roommate with his hand outstretched towards his bag.

"What are you doing, Kurosama?" Fai asked seriously. There was no longer any hint of a smile on his face. "Were you going to look in my bag?"

Kurogane was momentarily speechless from being caught red-handed. Eventually, he managed to say something like "it smells disgusting… I just wanted to know what was making that smell…"

"Please don't touch my things, Kurosama," he said somberly. "It's not polite. And that bag holds something…extremely personal…"

"Well, can't you do something about the smell?" Kurogane asked, his eyes averted in guilt. "It's making me sick…"

The dark-haired boy shivered and returned to the laptop on his desk awkwardly as Fai gathered up his small black duffle bag, put it very carefully into the closet and shut the door.

* * *

Kurogane moaned and buried his head under his pillow when he heard his alarm clock going off. Today was his first day of classes and he was so totally _not_ looking forward to it. He reached up and blindly felt around for his clock so that he could turn off the alarm. Who needed communications class anyway? Not him. He was a master of communication; all he had to do say whatever he wanted and beat the crap out of whoever disagreed. It wasn't that difficult. Eventually, he managed to locate his alarm clock, turned it off, and rolled over with the intention to go back to sleep. Unfortunately it seemed that Fai had other plans.

"Ah, ah, ah, Kurokuro!" he scolded playfully. "You didn't set the alarm so that you'd know when it was time to turn it off and go back to sleep! You set it so that you'd know when it was time to wake up!"

"What the hell…?" Kurogane grumbled, pulling the blankets over his head. "What are you, my mother? Get the hell away from me!"

"Here, put this on," Fai ordered, pushing something into his hands.

Kurogane pulled the thing under the blankets with him so that he could see what it was without being blinded as Fai jerked open the curtains. It was the spiked bracelet that Fai had given him the other day.

"If I put it on will you let me go back to sleep?" he growled.

"Hmm," Fai said cheerfully.

Sighing reluctantly, Kurogane slipped the bracelet on. As soon as he had gotten it onto his wrist, Fai pounced on him.

"WHAT THE HELL?! YOU SAID YOU'D LET ME GO BACK TO SLEEP, YOU LYING PIECE OF CRAP!!" the dark-haired boy roared.

"No I didn't, silly!" Fai giggled, lifting up the covers so that he could get under them next to his roommate. "I just said 'hmm'. That doesn't mean yes. You need to work on listening, Kurowanta!"

"H-hey! What the hell are you—" Kurogane stammered as he felt his shirt being lifted up and Fai's cool, slender fingers running across his abs. "QUIT MOLESTING ME, YOU CREEPY BASTARD!!"

"Ooh, Kurochan," Fai breathed against his neck. "You have such nice muscles…Do you work out?"

"Fine!" Kurogane snapped. "I'll go to my damn class! There, you happy?!"

"Good boy, Kurotan," the blond chirped as he flopped back down on his bed. "Take lots of notes! Work hard!"

Kurogane just snarled at him as he snatched his clothes from the closet and stomped off down the hall to take a shower.

* * *

Kurogane yawned as he turned the page of his chemistry textbook. He knew it was stupid, but he had stayed up half the night wondering about that retarded duffle bag of Fai's. Maybe he had simply imagined it but he could have sworn that he could hear its contents' rhythmic movement in the closet. He was highly tempted to climb out of his bed in the middle of night, see what was in the bag and then club the damn thing until it stopped making noise. Unfortunately, he could sense that even though Fai was lying motionless in his bed and appeared to be sleeping, he was in fact wide awake.

When he remembered the look on Fai's face when he had caught Kurogane trying to have a peek inside the bag before, the dark-haired boy had to suppress a shiver. Not that he was afraid of what Fai might do to him if he tried it again but seeing that expression on the blond's face when he was usually giggling and smiling like a love-struck little girl all hopped up on caffeine was creepy. Kurogane was now paying the price for his late-night curiosity. He had heard from people who had taken chemistry before him that you'd be screwed if you didn't do the reading, but he was so sleepy… It didn't help that the book was boring as hell.

"Working hard, Kurogane?"

Kurogane was startled out of his deepening stupor by the voice of his unexpected visitor. Tomoyo and Sakura sat down across the table from him.

"Hmph… what are you doing here?" he grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"I'm surprised at you, Kurogane," Tomoyo said with a long-suffering sigh. "That's no way to greet your friends! Besides, you looked like you were falling asleep when you were supposed to be doing your reading, so we're doing you a favor."

Kurogane folded his arms and glared at her sullenly.

"You really do look tired…Are you alright, Kurogane san?" Sakura asked, looking genuinely concerned.

"It's nothing," he said, trying to sound off-hand even though he could feel himself blushing slightly at her heartfelt worry. "My idiot roommate was… being loud last night."

Although Kurogane was usually opposed to lying, he consoled himself by reminding himself that this was not entirely untrue. After all, it was the contents of Fai's duffle bag that had been making the noise. Anyway, he could hardly tell her that it was actually Fai's luggage that had been making noise last night and that he suspected that there might be something living in there. She'd probably think he was nuts, even if she was too polite to say so to his face.

"Really?" Sakura said, looking mildly surprised. "Fai san seemed like such a sweet person; I can't believe that he would do something so inconsiderate."

"_That_ guy? Sweet? Yeah right," Kurogane snorted. "There's nothing sweet about _him_! He's a jerk!"

"Eh?! Sakura chan got to meet Fai san?!" Tomoyo gasped, looking at Sakura with wide eyes. "I'm so jealous! When do_ I_ get to meet him?"

Kurogane shrugged, looking completely uninterested. "Just come by our room sometime. He's always just hanging around and being lazy so it's not like it'll be hard to find him…As long as he's not too busy trying to annoy me, that idiot…"

The older boy narrowed his eyes suspiciously when he noticed the smile that was spreading across Tomoyo's lips. "What are you smiling at?"

"Oh, nothing," she sighed dreamily, playing with a strand of her long dark hair. "I just noticed that your voice is so much softer whenever you talk about Fai san…"

Kurogane stared at her in disbelief, though for some stupid reason he could feel his face getting hot again. "What are you getting at?" he demanded.

Tomoyo brought a hand to her mouth in a weak attempt to hide a giggle of delight. "I was just thinking that perhaps you don't hate Fai san as much as you'd like everyone to believe."

"Tch," Kurogane sneered, though he couldn't seem to make himself meet her eyes. "Don't say disgusting things like that; you're making me sick. It's only because we're in the library and it'd be a pain if we got kicked out for being too loud."

"Oh ho ho ho!" Tomoyo giggled again. "You should know better than to try those weak excuses on me, Kurogane! I've known you far too long to fall for a story like that!" Even Sakura looked amused, though she seemed to be trying to suppress it for fear of making him angry.

"It's not an excuse!" he snarled. "It's the truth! Anyway, it's got nothing to do with you so just butt out!"

Tomoyo's grin was becoming smugger and more infuriating by the second. If she wasn't a girl, Kurogane probably would have punched her. He became even more irritated when he felt his face reddening further under her knowing gaze.

"Looks like someone's got a little crush on his roommate," she purred.

Kurogane turned his narrowed eyes on Sakura, who seemed to be trying very hard to stay out of this. "You don't believe that, do you?" he growled.

Sakura looked embarrassed by the question. "W-well, Tomoyo chan knows you a lot better than I do, so… Not that I would blame you if you did! Fai san is very pretty! I'm sure lots of people would…"

"I can't believe this!" Kurogane hissed. "Look, if you two just came here to make jokes, then you can leave!"

"Hmm? Are these lovely young ladies giving you a hard time, Kuromin?"

Kurogane closed his eyes and heaved a sigh. There was only one person who would dare mutilate his name like that and this was a rather inconvenient time for him to be showing up.

"What are you doing here, you bastard?!" Kurogane snapped, turning to look at Fai who was approaching from behind.

"I got the feeling that Kurochii was being bullied and might need my help," the blond replied cheerfully.

"What the hell do you people think this is, a freaking tea party?! I'm trying to work here so if you all are just gonna screw around then you can leave!"

"Hello again, Sakura chan," Fai trilled, ignoring his roommate. "And who might this be?"

"Hello Fai san!" Sakura replied. "This is my roommate, Tomoyo chan!"

Tomoyo looked puzzled for a moment, then smiled in Fai's direction. "It's very nice to finally meet you, Fai san! Kurogane has told us all about you. We were just talking about you, in fact…"

Fai was so busy looking stunned that he completely missed Tomoyo's mischievous smile at Kurogane and Kurogane's sullen blush in response to it.

"…Y-yes…It's nice to meet you too, Tomoyo chan…" he said finally.

Kurogane frowned as he looked between Fai and Tomoyo, trying to figure out what they were both looking so stupefied about. There was a brief awkward silence before Fai turned his attention to Kurogane.

"Actually Kuropuu, the reason I'm here is because I need a little favor."

"No," Kurogane said flatly.

"But I'm locked out of our room, Kuropiko!" Fai pouted. "I need to borrow your keys!"df

"Where are yours?" he asked irritably.

"Sitting on my desk," the blond answered sheepishly.

Kurogane heaved a sigh and ran a hand backward through his hair. Eventually he reached into his pocket and dug out his keys and shoved them into his roommate's hand.

"If you're not there when I get back, I'm kicking your ass straight out the window the next time I see you," he warned. "Got it?"

"Whatever you say, Daddy," Fai grinned, taking his keys. "Good luck in the rest of your classes! I'm cheering for you!"

Kurogane glared after him as he left. As soon as he was gone, he turned his frown on Tomoyo. "Hey, what were you looking so surprised about just now?"

Tomoyo blinked at him, nonplused. "…You mean you really don't know?"

"What are you talking about?" Kurogane growled. "How could I possibly know?"

His friend smiled mysteriously at him. "If you haven't figured it out, then I'm not going to tell you."

"Huh? Why not?!" he demanded.

"If Fai san hasn't told you himself, then I assume he has a good reason," Tomoyo replied serenely.

When Kurogane continued to look irritated and confused, she reached across the table to put her hand on his reassuringly. "Don't worry, Kurogane; you're intelligent. I'm sure you'll figure it out soon enough."

* * *

Although Kurogane did attend the rest of his classes that day, his mind was occupied with other things. It seemed silly to for him to get so caught up in a minute thing like wondering why Tomoyo and Fai had been looking so weirded out when they had met each other that day but Kurogane got the distinct feeling that the reason was something significant. And there was still the matter of Fai's duffle bag bothering him. It frustrated him that he was so fixated on these two things. Normally when he encountered some mysterious detail about someone else he would just shrug his shoulders and ignore it because it was none of his business anyway. Why couldn't he seem to do the same with matters that concerned Fai?

When his last class was finally over, he decided to return to his room for lack of anything better to do. He was annoyed to find that the door was unlocked but the room was empty. That had to be Fai's doing, the careless bastard. Kurogane wondered fleetingly if Fai was consciously pulling out all the stops in order to piss him off or if it just came to him naturally. Not only that, but the idiot had failed to return his keys. The next time he saw that airhead blond, he was going to do something really vicious to him, like pull his hair. That would teach him.

Speaking of teaching, Kurogane suddenly remembered all the reading he had been assigned. He had counted up the number of pages during his previous class and it had ended up being around fifty or sixty pages. Considering how boring the material was, Kurogane was pretty sure it would take him all night to finish even if he started right now. Even though the thought of spending his entire evening on useless reading made him cringe, he figured he'd only be digging himself into a hole if he got behind on it so early in the semester. What was the point of spending all this money on a college education if he wasn't even going to put any effort into it? With a sigh of resignation, Kurogane pulled out one of his textbooks, plopped down at his desk and began reading.

* * *

It was past midnight when Kurogane finally snapped his last book shut. The room was disturbingly silent. Fai still hadn't returned and Kurogane could make out the distant rumblings of thunder announcing the approach of a storm. He hated to admit it but he was a little bit worried. What if something had happened to him? Then again, what if he had just decided to go out and party or something? Kurogane would feel stupid getting himself all worked up with worry over Fai only to find him out drinking somewhere. He sat there and brooded on it for another ten minutes or so…until he realized how utterly and sickeningly stupid he was being. Fai was always finding some way to get under his skin, so why did it matter to him if the moron wasn't around? He didn't like Fai at all, much less care about him. Why should it bother him if Fai got lost or beat up or had his leg chewed off by an army of disgruntled squirrels? It certainly didn't. That's what he told himself as he slipped on his jacket and headed outside.

* * *

Kurogane squinted through the sudden downpour using his arm to shield his eyes from the rain that was being hurled at him from above. Honestly, he had only come out here to see how bad the storm was. He just wanted to make sure that if Fai was out here then he was really getting soaked. Kurogane was most definitely not out here to look for that stupid blond. And he sure as hell wasn't worried about him. But still, he couldn't help wondering where Fai could be so late on a school night…

"Kuropun? What are you doing out here in the rain?" a voice from behind him shouted over the roar of the storm.

The dark-haired boy whipped around and found himself face-to-face with a rather wet and pathetic-looking blond. He felt his face coloring as he searched his brain for a logical reason for his being here. "I…uh…"

Fai grinned. "Were you worried about me, Kuromyuu?"

Kurogane snorted derisively. "Tch. Yeah right. Don't be so damn full of yourself. I was just… well, it's none of your damn business what I'm doing out here so just shut up!"

His roommate slipped his arm into Kurogane's and hugged it affectionately. "That's so nice of you, Daddy! I'm sorry if I made you wait too long."

Kurogane huffed sullenly and looked away, deciding it was useless to contradict someone who was clearly so bent on ignoring him.

"Why don't we go inside now, ok? I'm sure Kurowanwan must be chilly," Fai suggested happily.

Kurogane rolled his eyes and pulled away from the blond, leading the way to the main entrance to the residence hall. He gave the handle an impatient tug. It didn't open. He tried again but it still remained stubbornly shut. Kurogane ground his teeth in annoyance and turned to Fai.

"It's locked. Where are my keys?"

"…Didn't you see them on my desk when you came in?" Fai asked, his eyes widening.

Kurogane stared at him for a moment in disbelief. "WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU PUT THEM THERE, YOU STUPID BASTARD?!!"

"I don't know…I guess I wasn't really thinking straight," Fai said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. He turned his back on the seething Kurogane and cupped his hands around his eyes as he looked through the glass door, trying to see if there was anyone in the lobby who could let them in but the front desk was unattended.

"We seem to be in a bit of a pinch, hmm?"

Kurogane grabbed him by his lapels and shoved his back roughly against the wall. "THAT'S JUST GREAT!! WE'RE GONNA BE STUCK OUT HERE ALL NIGHT LONG AND IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FUCKING FAULT!! WHAT THE HELL ARE WE GONNA DO NOW?!!"

"Well…" Fai mused calmly. "I think we should find somewhere out of the rain where we can spend the night. I would hate for Kurochan to catch a cold on top of it all."

Kurogane's grip on him loosened and he looked away, blushing. "I don't need you worrying about me… Just worry about yourself."

"There's a little pavilion right across the street. That might be a good place," Fai suggested, ignoring him.

"Hmph…Whatever," the dark-haired boy grumbled, letting go of his roommate and following him across the street to the pavilion that Fai had indicated. He dropped down onto the picnic table seat and Fai sat down next to him so that the two were shoulder to shoulder.

"Oh, you're shivering Kurorun…" Fai breathed, running delicate fingers down his trembling arm.

"Tch. And whose fault do you think that is, bastard?" Kurogane growled.

"Hmm… if you're cold, Kurochuu, then maybe we should snuggle. That will help keep us warm."

Kurogane was silent. He knew that what Fai was saying was true but he was reluctant to try it. It would just be way too awkward. How in the world would he face Fai the next day if the two of them were forced to spend the night cuddling in order to keep warm? On the other hand, he was pretty cold…

"What do you say, Kurowanta?" Fai grinned, poking his shoulder playfully. "Wanna give it a try?"

He sighed and ran a hand backwards through his hair. "…Fine, but if we're gonna do this… I don't want anyone to catch us. Who knows what kind of disgusting rumors would start…"

"You want to hide in those bushes, then?" he asked unabashedly.

"Of course I don't _want_ to!" Kurogane snapped. "But we really don't have a choice, thanks to you!"

Fai giggled excitedly and took his hand, pulling him over to the clump of bushes that surrounded the perimeter of a nearby building. Kurogane made a show of being reluctant as he sat down on the wet ground and let the blond curl up in his lap, but honestly his heart wasn't in his display; it was too busy pounding nervously against his ribcage. Absentmindedly, he curled his arms around Fai's slender body and felt him sigh contentedly against his cheek. He suddenly frowned down at his roommate who was busy cuddling his cheek into the crook of Kurogane's neck and purring happily.

"Hey… you feel… really hot," Kurogane noted. "Are you sick or something?"

Fai slipped his own arms around Kurogane's shoulders and laughed softly. "No… I'm just…so happy."

Kurogane was silent as he tried to figure out what being happy had to do with Fai's body feeling so warm but the blond brought his wonderings to an abrupt halt when he sweetly stroked Kurogane's cheek and lightly brushed his lips against his collarbone.

"Goodnight, Big Puppy. Have sweet dreams."

"Tch. Like hell I will," Kurogane mumbled, though he had the sinking feeling that, in spite of their situation, he might do just that.

* * *

**A/N: **I had a rather difficult time with the ending… I hope it turned out alright. Reviews are greatly appreciated! 


	10. Arcane

**A/N: **Have I mentioned recently how much I loooooooove Christmas break? Love love love love!

Of course I wouldn't leave you guys hanging with the mini-series! Come on! You know me better than that, right? Well, maybe you don't. But for future reference, I'm not gonna leave you hanging with the mini-series. By that I mean, it won't be over until all the major questions have been answered. So I present to you the next chapter of the mini-series, as well as the definition of the word "arcane" as it is given in the usual source (though this one will be from memory since I forgot to bring my dictionary home with me over break). Arcane (adj.)- hidden, secret. That's the gist of it. Now, on with the story!

* * *

**Arcane**

He hadn't been sleeping, really. After all, how could he when he was forced to do so with his back against a hard brick wall and a suspicious, loud-mouthed lunatic snuggled in his arms? He looked down at the suspicious lunatic in question to find that he was having no such problems with insomnia and was peacefully snoozing away, his blond head resting comfortably against his roommate's shoulder, his soft, perfect lips touching Kurogane's neck in a way he just knew was deliberate and teasing. Basically, he was in the exact same position that he had been in five seconds ago when Kurogane had last checked on him.

Kurogane huffed and turned his head, tearing his eyes away from the unnaturally slender and warm body curled against him. He told himself for about the thousandth time that the only reason he kept checking on Fai was because he had to make sure that the idiot wasn't drooling on him. It obviously had nothing to do with him having any kind of weakness for the beautiful expression of relaxed innocence on Fai's face and he certainly wasn't the least bit worried that the blond's abnormal warmth might be caused by a fever. In spite of his complete indifference toward his current situation, Kurogane felt himself blush when Fai shifted a little in his sleep, his hand moving to clutch loosely at the dark-haired boy's shirt.

Dear lord, if anyone found them together like this, the badass reputation that he had been so carefully crafting for himself since he came to this college would be irrevocably flushed down the toilet. Not that he would be outraged by the injustice of that. If he found some supposed tough guy hiding in the bushes and cuddling with a sissy blond like Fai, he'd instantly lose all respect for him, too. Even if they got lucky and weren't discovered in this ridiculous position, his self-image was going to be damaged for quite a while. After all, he had been quite tired from his previous sleepless night and knew that he had drifted off for a short while at least twice with his face buried in Fai's silky hair. Not only that but he had actually found himself to be glad of Fai's warmth several times during the night. Was he turning into a pansy or what? Jeez… the next thing he knew, he'd probably be coming to class in a frilly dress or something.

Against his own will, he drifted into another sort of stupor (one that definitely was _not_ haunted by thoughts of Fai and himself skipping off to class, hand in hand, wearing matching frilly pink dresses) his head nodding in his exhaustion until it came to rest on top of Fai's again. He wasn't sure how long this lasted but the next time he became aware of his surroundings, the sun had risen and he could hear the voices of passing students on their way to class. Kurogane groaned and rotated his head, wincing as his neck made a series of nasty cracking noises. He longed to get up and stretch but if he did that he would wake Fai. Not that he cared, of course, but Fai did a lot less yacking when he was asleep.

"Ioryogi san!" a girl's distressed voice cried out from nearby. "Please, give me my book back! I need it!"

"If you need it so bad, then why don't you go get it, Dobato?" a boy laughed.

The girl squealed indignantly, and the next thing Kurogane knew, a textbook came flying over the hedge and clonked him on the head.

"Ouch! What the hell…?!"

While he was still busy with the inevitable feelings of surprise and pain that followed, a girl with extremely long pink hair, presumably the owner of the offending book, poked her head into the bushes. Kurogane stopped rubbing the bump on his head, frozen in horror as the girl jumped in surprise at finding someone sitting in the bushes. Her eyes widened and Kurogane's brain scrambled frantically to find a logical excuse that he could give for being hidden in the bushes, his hair and clothes noticeably damp from the previous night's rain, with his arms wrapped around another man. Surprisingly, he wasn't able to think of a damn thing.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the girl squeaked, clapping a hand to her mouth. "Did my book hit you when Ioryogi san threw it just now? It didn't leave a bump, did it?"

Kurogane blinked as he felt her fingers slip into his damp hair and feel the sore area gently for a bump.

"There is a little one…" she said apologetically. "I'm really sorry about that!"

"…Aren't you even gonna…" he broke off awkwardly, though he wondered why in the world she still hadn't said anything about Fai. Was she pointedly ignoring the obvious fact that she had just interrupted what appeared to be (but most certainly was _not_) a cornucopia of gay love or had she, by some amazing stroke of luck, simply mistaken Fai for a girl? It must be the former because otherwise she would certainly be asking whether Fai had been hit by the book as well.

"Hmm?" The girl stared at him questioningly, then she gasped and put her hand to her mouth again. "Oh dear… if you're sitting like that, then perhaps you were meditating when my book hit you? I'm so, so sorry! I hope I'm not slowing down your quest for enlightenment or anything!"

Kurogane stared at her some more, unsure about how he should respond. She put him at ease by straightening up.

"Well…if you're alright, then I really need to be going to class. But I'm very sorry about the book! I hope your bump doesn't hurt too badly!"

With that, she scurried away, leaving Kurogane to his bewilderment. He didn't have too long to dwell on it though because apparently his conversation with the girl had awoken Fai. The blond sat up, yawned and stretched his arms above his head.

"Good morning, Kurotan," he said cheerfully. "Do you know what time it is?"

Kurogane hurriedly shoved Fai off of him. "Don't know, don't care," he growled.

"You don't have class this morning, Kurowanwan?" Fai asked, standing up and brushing off his pants.

Kurogane followed suit, noting that his back, shoulders and neck were extremely stiff and sore from sitting against that stupid wall all night. "Yeah but I'm not going."

"Eh? Why not?"

"Well, thanks to you, I got maybe one hour of sleep last night and my back and shoulders hurt like a bitch," Kurogane grumbled, stretching gingerly. "Plus some stupid girl threw a book at my head just now… I'm going back to our room and going to bed, and if you bother me, I'll kick your ass."

Apparently, Fai got the message that Kurogane was not in the mood to joke around because he simply followed him back to their room without a word. After they got the RA to unlock their door for them, Kurogane changed into some dry clothes and collapsed face-down on his bed. There was a moment's silence before Kurogane felt the bed sink ever so slightly as Fai sat down on the edge of it. Kurogane said nothing, hoping that if he just ignored his roommate, he would go away. Fai, however, did not go away. Instead, he placed his warm hands on the dark-haired boy's back and began to rub while applying gentle pressure. Kurogane was about to snap at him to screw off but then he realized how good it felt. Fai worked his way down his back slowly, lovingly massaging each sore muscle and joint. Kurogane's eyes slid closed and he allowed himself to relax as Fai worked. Such was his relaxation that he didn't even care when he felt the blond put one leg over his back to straddle him so that he could get better maneuverability as he massaged.

"How does that feel, Kurochan?" Fai whispered.

"…Hmph…" was about the best that Kurogane could manage. He was too tired and too deep into ecstasy to say anything else. As he fell asleep, he thought he felt Fai's lips touch the back of his neck several times, as softly as a sigh of wind. Then again, perhaps he had only imagined it.

* * *

_He heard the door open, a brief pause, and then heard it close again, almost silently. The bed sank slightly as someone sat down on it next to him. His face was buried in his pillow, but he knew who it was. He was too deep in despair to lift his head and face him and he didn't really want him to see his face anyway. If he saw him crying, he would probably just make a big deal about it like he always did. His fingers were running through his hair soothingly, and even in his state of depression, he managed to feel a twinge of bitterness. He had made it painfully clear that he didn't love him so why was he toying with him like this?_

"_What's wrong, Fai?" he whispered. "Are you alright?"_

"_He…he's dead…" Fai croaked. "It's all… all my f-fault… If I hadn't…if I had t-taken better care of him… If I… had never been b-born… My…fault…"_

_He was silent but continued to stroke his hair._

"_I… should have been the one to die… I was the one who…"_

"_You didn't plan for this to happen. There's no way you could have known. It's not your fault."_

"_If it wasn't f-for me…he never would h-have had to… It…it should have been me that died… He… he died to s-save me…"_

"_Would it help if you had someone to love you?" he asked, almost inaudibly._

_Fai's fists clenched on top of his sheets; as much as he loved him, he wanted so badly to just punch him right in the face. What he needed right now was comfort and understanding, not someone to rub salt in his wounds. Then another possibility came to mind and he turned his face so that he could look at his dark-haired roommate._

"_Do you mean you…?"_

_His face betrayed nothing; no hint of regret, no shred of pity. "No, not me…I'm sorry Fai, but we're not meant for each other."_

_Fai's fists clenched his sheets even harder, his knuckles turning white with the effort, and he buried his face in his damp pillow again._

"_No one… could love me… I am…disgusting… I've killed…"_

"_Someone who didn't know… I know it sounds impossible but it's not. You're not a bad person, Fai."_

_Fai was silent for a long time. "…Even…if s-such a person did exist… I don't know if I can forgive m-myself long enough… t-to allow such a thing…"_

"_It will take time, that's true… How long it takes is entirely up to you."_

"_An eternity… How can I ever forgive myself…for something like this…?"_

"_An eternity is a long time… But if that's how long it takes, even then there is a way."_

"_I'm n-not in the mood… for solving riddles…"_

"_I can do it for you. I can ensure you that amount of time. You will be ageless, preserved forever in your current state until that person finds you."_

_Fai turned his face again to look at him, though he could hardly see him because of the tears in his eyes. "It's not…possible."_

_He finally smiled. "It _is_ possible. It will hurt at first but after that, I promise you won't feel a thing. Nothing will ever hurt you again."_

_Fai sat up and wiped his eyes. "…If you say you can do it… then I… I t-trust you… Ashura…"

* * *

_

_Blood. There was so much blood. Both of them had their hands drenched with it. And such a horrible pain in his chest…

* * *

_

Kurogane's eyes snapped open, his heart beating fast, his breathing quickened. The room was cold, though not as unbearable as it sometimes was. Fai returned hurriedly to his side when he saw that the other boy was awake, sat down on the edge of his bed, and began running his fingers absentmindedly through Kurogane's hair. When he saw that Kurogane was looking up at him, he quickly smiled.

"Ah, Kurochii woke up!" His smile lessened a bit. "You're shaking a little bit, Kuropuu… are you ok?"

Kurogane hurriedly sat up and looked around. There was no sign of blood anywhere, but that dream had been so vivid that he had a hard time believing that it was only a dream. When he realized that Fai was still waiting concernedly for a response, he shook his head slightly.

"It's cold in here," he said shortly, not looking at the blond.

Fai was silent for a moment. "Was it a bad dream?" he asked quietly. The room grew a bit chillier. "What was it about?"

Kurogane hesitated. "Ashura," he said finally, deliberately not mentioning that Fai had been part of his dream as well. "Some guy named Ashura."

Now the room was absolutely frigid. Kurogane's breath was clouding before his eyes but he could still see the shock and horror on his roommate's face when he mentioned the name. It only made him more curious when Fai quickly and determinedly looked away.

"Is he someone you know, Kurosama?" he asked somberly.

"No," Kurogane admitted. "But it looks to me like he's someone _you_ know."

"Don't be silly, Kurorun. How could I know someone who's in _your_ dream?"

Kurogane hesitated again. "You were there too, in my dream. The two of you were talking. Someone had—"

"Kuropiko was dreaming about me?" Fai chirped, suddenly happy again. But the room was still freezing and Kurogane could see the strain in Fai's smile. For some stupid reason, though, he blushed.

"Q-quit trying to change the subject!" he snapped. "You were the one who asked in the first place!"

"Ooh, Kuropopo is getting embarrassed now!" Fai giggled. "Was I kissing you in your dream, Kurowanta? Was I lying on top of you, like this?"

He pushed Kurogane down on his back and sprawled out on top of him.

"Was I…_naked_?" he breathed, letting his lips brush his roommate's neck teasingly.

"D-don't be stupid!" Kurogane sputtered. "Why the hell would I have a dream like that about a bastard like you?!"

"But you're blushing, Kuropin," the blond pointed out. "And you're stuttering all of a sudden. Why else would you be doing that unless I guessed correctly, hmm?"

"ANYONE WOULD GET FREAKED OUT IF SOME ASSHOLE SAID GROSS THINGS LIKE THAT TO THEM!!" he raged. Still, for some reason he could feel his heart beating faster and he couldn't make himself push Fai off of him.

"Whatever you say, Kurochii," Fai grinned. "Whatever you say…"

The two of them lapsed into silence then, Fai still lying comfortably on top of Kurogane, tracing circles on his chest with his finger, while Kurogane tried valiantly to tell himself that he had forgotten that Fai was there. Then something occurred to him.

"Hey…how long was I…" he trailed off awkwardly, hoping that Fai would figure out what the rest of his sentence was because he was too sheepish to say it himself.

"How long were you asleep?" Fai guessed correctly. "Hmm… well, I wasn't watching the clock but I'd say about five or six hours maybe."

Kurogane frowned. "Were you here the whole time?"

Fai smiled softly. "Well, I did get up once, just for a little bit near the end. Otherwise, yes… I sat right beside you and held your hand the entire time. I guess it wasn't until I let go that you had your bad dream."

Kurogane snorted doubtfully. As if Fai could have that kind of power over him. "So you don't have class today then? Or are you just skipping?"

Fai blinked. "I don't have class. But even if I did, I would happily skip for you, Kurowanko!"

The dark-haired boy rolled his eyes. "What's the point of spending all this money on going to college if you're just gonna skip class so you can sit around here doing something stupid like holding my hand? It's not doing either of us a damn bit of good."

The smile on Fai's lips faltered only briefly before he hitched it back into place.

"On the contrary, Kuromu," he smiled sadly. "When I hold your hand, I feel a little bit happier…and… I swear sometimes I can almost feel it."

Kurogane wasn't really sure what Fai meant by that but he wasn't going to turn into some mushy idiot so he just let it drop. That topic had "sappy" written all over so he every intention of not touching it. Ever. He hoped Fai didn't think he was being clever just because Kurogane had allowed him to change the subject when he had been asking about Ashura. That had only happened because he had realized that it was really none of his business and that he didn't know Fai well enough to demand information that was apparently so personal. Even though he didn't have the right to be poking around in Fai's past, it irritated him a little because he could tell that his roommate was hiding something big from him. Besides… as much as he hated to admit it, he found that when Fai was touching him, for some odd reason he felt a little happier, too.

* * *

Although Kurogane had gotten a little bit excited after that somewhat revealing dream he had had about Fai, the next few days and nights were disappointingly uninformative. Though he tried several sneaky tactics in an attempt to trick Fai into letting something else of interest slip, the blond danced around his verbal attacks with a dexterity that, while it pissed him off a lot, Kurogane couldn't help but admire. Tomoyo wasn't being at all helpful in relieving his frustration; she kept asking him if he had figured out what was up with Fai yet. Whenever he grudgingly admitted that he had been, so far, unsuccessful, she would do that stupid, infuriating little girly laugh of hers and prance away, looking far too smug for his liking. Today, he feared, would be no different. In fact, she was already wearing that damn smirk as if she was anticipating reports of his continued failure.

"Have you figured it out yet?" Tomoyo asked in a deceptively sweet voice.

"No, dammit. But you can wipe that stupid smirk off your face. It really makes me want to hurt you," Kurogane snarled, cracking his knuckles threateningly.

It was an empty threat, however, and both of them knew it. Regardless of how much a she irritated him, Kurogane would never hurt a girl. It went against his code of honor. And Tomoyo, though it may not seem so to the casual observer, was in even less danger than any other girl. She might be a smug little bitch sometimes but she was _his_ smug little bitch, and he'd be damned if he let anyone, himself included, lay so much as a finger on her; whether this was because he was "adorable" (as Tomoyo suggested) or "chivalrous" (as he insisted) was still a topic of debate.

Tomoyo let out a heavy sigh. "You're really starting to disappoint me, Kurogane… Here I was thinking that you were intelligent but you can't even figure out this one simple little thing about your own roommate…"

"Shut up, you," he retorted through gritted teeth. "If it matters to you so much, why don't you give me a hint or something?!"

"Now where would be the fun in that?" she smiled. "I would have thought that you'd be watching his every move and hanging on to his every word…"

"Why the heck would I do that?!" Kurogane sputtered indignantly.

"Because…" Tomoyo paused for dramatic effect, then giggled maliciously. "You have a crush on him!"

Kurogane's face instantly went scarlet. "N-no I don't! Where do you get a stupid idea like that?!"

"It's written all over your face, Kurogane! I'd have to be blind to miss it!" she chirped. "Not that I object, of course. I'm sure you and Fai san would make an absolutely adorable couple!"

Kurogane winced and hurriedly looked around to make sure that they weren't being eavesdropped on. "Look…" he hissed, "if you're gonna say stupid crap like that, at least keep your voice down! The _last_ thing I need is for rumors to get out that I'm interested in that stupid blond pansy guy!"

"Oh, you wanted to keep that a secret?" Tomoyo asked, looking mildly surprised and a smile that was tinged with just the slightest hint of guilt played across her lips. "You should have told me that sooner, Kurogane! I just got done telling Kizaki chan that you two were an item! And you _know_ she can't keep a secret…"

Kurogane froze, mid-stride, and stared at Tomoyo in horror. The two of them had been going to school with Tamayo Kizaki since their elementary years, so he was well aware that she was absolutely useless at secret-keeping.

"Don't look so surprised, Kurogane," Tomoyo said cheerfully, waving his worry aside. "Even if I hadn't told her, she would have come to that conclusion herself. You and Fai san are practically joined at the hip!"

"Not because I want to be!" he seethed, his face still a brilliant shade of red. "That idiot just keeps following me all the time! I can't get rid of him!"

"I think you probably could do it if you really wanted to. I've seen you do it to other people a thousand times," she giggled. "Really, Kurogane, I don't understand why you still try to feed me those silly excuses of yours. You know I've known you far too long to be fooled by them! And I don't understand why you seem so bothered that Fai san follows you around all the time when you obviously like him."

Kurogane huffed and folded his arms sullenly. "Well, even if I did, that stupid guy doesn't trust me…" he said eventually.

Tomoyo looked up at him, slightly surprised when she saw a subtle but definite hint of bitterness on his face. "What do you mean?"

"He's hiding something. I don't know what it is, but…" Kurogane sighed and ran a hand backwards through his hair. "It's something big."

Tomoyo took his hand and smiled sympathetically up at him. "Then you'll just have to prove to Fai san that you're worthy of his trust."

Kurogane was silent as he mulled over this suggestion. His concentration was broken when Tomoyo laughed again.

"By the way, Kurogane… I didn't really tell Kizaki chan that you two were dating," she said. "I just wanted to shake you up a little."

Kurogane growled, clenching his hands into fists. "You…!"

"Well, my next class is in this building here," Tomoyo chirped, heading for the door of the nearest hall. "See you later, ok?"

She went inside, but paused to watch him through the glass doors as he stomped away angrily. "I can't exactly tell people that you're going out with someone that most of them can't even see…" Tomoyo sighed to herself. "But you'll change that, Kurogane. I have faith in you."

* * *

Kurogane returned to his room that afternoon to find Fai lounging on his bed again. The dark-haired boy sighed as he dropped his backpack on the floor.

"Don't you ever have class?" he growled.

"Of course I do, silly," Fai answered without opening his eyes. "Why would I be here if I didn't have any classes?"

"Probably just to piss me off," Kurogane grumbled as he sat down at his desk and opened his laptop. "Anyway, every time I come in here you're just lying around and doing nothing. What am I supposed to think?"

"I'm not doing nothing, Kuropyon," Fai pouted. "Actually, I'm working on something very important."

Kurogane looked over his shoulder at the blond. "What, now?"

"Yep." Fai still hadn't opened his eyes and his hands were folded behind his head. As far as Kurogane could see, he was just lying there.

"You're just lying there! And in _my_ bed, I might add!" he snapped.

"Ah, it only looks that way to the untrained eye," Fai smiled. "In reality, I'm working very, very hard."

Kurogane stared at him a moment longer in disbelief before snorting doubtfully and returning his attention to his computer. "What is it, then?" he asked, doing his best to sound disinterested.

"Hmm?"

"What are you working on?"

"…Tee hee! It's a secret," Fai replied enigmatically.

"Tch. You won't tell me because it's nothing," Kurogane sulked.

"This is really bothering you, isn't it, Kurosama?" the blond said amusedly.

"…No. I don't care at all," he lied.

"If you say so, Kuronpyu," Fai said.

For a long time, neither of them said anything. Kurogane would glance at his roommate from time to time, in spite of himself. Not that he was interested in what Fai was doing. He was just… looking. Because he felt like it. It was Fai, however, who really didn't seem interested. In fact, Kurogane was pretty sure he had fallen asleep. How irritating. That bastard had a lot of nerve, falling asleep in his bed. He turned back to his computer, trying to focus on something that he told himself was far more interesting.

Yet somehow, as uninteresting as Fai was, Kurogane kept finding his eyes inexplicably drawn to him. He was all curled up on top of the blankets, looking so insubstantial that Kurogane wondered if he might suddenly disappear. He also, Kurogane thought, looked cold and… he struggled to find the right word to describe how else Fai appeared to him. Finally he settled on "lost". Fai looked lost. Suddenly, Kurogane found himself getting up from his desk, taking a blanket off of Fai's bed and spreading it over the slender blond form. His hand drifted up to Fai's hair and brushed a few strands away from his face.

He looked just as sweet and beautiful as the first time Kurogane had laid eyes on him. Kurogane told himself forcefully that he hadn't thought the words "sweet" and "beautiful" about Fai in an affectionate way. He had chosen "sweet" because he had always hated sweet things, and "beautiful" because he had no interest in pretty stuff. His arguments were abruptly halted when he suddenly noticed that his hand had strayed from Fai's hair and was now gently tracing his roommate's smooth jaw line. Kurogane quickly pulled his hand away and forced himself to return to his desk.

"Hey…" he said to no one in particular, "if you ever feel like talking… I'll listen."

Kurogane glanced over at Fai one last time, checking to see if there was any sign of comprehension on his sleeping face. There was a small smile.

* * *

Kurogane looked up from his computer when he heard a knock at the door. He looked quickly over at Fai. The blond was still sleeping. Kurogane heaved a sigh and got up to answer the knock. There were two girls standing there. He recognized them as his neighbors from a few doors down, though he didn't know them by name. One of them was holding a plate with little clear bags on it. Each bag contained two cookies and was tied shut with a red ribbon.

"Ah, hello!" the dark-haired girl said. "Are you Kurogane san?"

"Yeah," he replied curiously.

"I'm Himawari, and this is Chii chan. We made cookies for everyone!" the one called Himawari said with a friendly smile. "Please, take one!"

Kurogane automatically obeyed, letting the door swing open a little as he did so. Himawari peeked around his shoulder.

"Oh, I hope I'm not disturbing your roommate," she said in a whisper. "Perhaps you should take one for him too, for when he wakes up."

"Tch. Don't worry about waking up that lazy guy," Kurogane grumbled. "All he ever does is lie around."

"Well, he's very pretty," Himawari noted.

The other girl, Chii, who hadn't said anything yet, looked puzzled. "Chii thought Kurogane san had his own room… That's what Hideki said."

"Well, obviously not," Kurogane said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder in Fai's direction. "He's right there."

Chii peeked curiously around his shoulder at the place that he had indicated. "Chii doesn't see anyone…"

"What are you talking about?" Kurogane stepped aside to let her have a better look. "How can you miss him?"

Chii stared blankly at Kurogane's bed where Fai was sleeping. After a moment, Himawari broke the awkward silence.

"Well, enjoy the cookies, Kurogane san."

The two of them headed for the next room and Kurogane shut the door, wondering if Chii was blind and why he had taken the cookies when he didn't even like sweets. He heard the bed creaking slightly as Fai sat up.

"Who was at the door, Kurochan?" he asked groggily, rubbing his eyes.

"Some girls from down the hall made cookies for everyone," Kurogane answered, tossing both bags to Fai. "You can have mine, too. I don't like sweets."

Fai looked sadly down at the cookies in his lap. "I… can't eat them, either."

Kurogane noticed the room getting chilly again as he looked at Fai, frowning slightly.

"What, you diabetic or something."

Fai just smiled at him apologetically. "…I'm sorry."

Kurogane blushed. "What are you apologizing to me for?"

When Fai continued to look upset, Kurogane heaved another sigh and snatched the cookies back. Fai watched him in surprise as his dark-haired roommate ripped one of the bags open and took a bite of a cookie, looking rather irritated as he chewed it.

"I thought you didn't like sweets," Fai said.

"I don't," Kurogane agreed, gingerly taking another bite. "But I hate being wasteful even more. Besides…you were making that stupid face…"

Fai's eyes widened. "So… Kuronpu is eating the cookies… to make me feel better…?"

"Hmph," Kurogane said evasively, finishing off the first bag and picking up the second. He jumped when he heard Fai laugh. "What the hell is so funny?"  
"You're such a nice guy but you're all shy about it…It's really sweet," Fai grinned.

Kurogane blushed again and quickly looked away. "…Shut up! Who's shy?!"

"You covered me up before, too, and told me you would listen if I had anything to say," the blond pointed out, his smile widening. "No one's ever done that for me before…So thank you. It means a lot to me."

"Y-you heard that?!" Kurogane stammered. "You were supposed to be asleep!"

"Maybe… I've finally found you…" Fai muttered, mostly to himself.

"Huh?" Kurogane said. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Fai continued to look thoughtful, but eventually shook his head. "…But I still can't be sure… Just wait a little longer, ok, Kuromin?"

"Tch. I don't even know what you're talking about," the dark-haired boy growled. But he couldn't honestly say that he didn't want to find out.

* * *

Kurogane returned to their room after eating dinner with Tomoyo and Sakura and was surprised to find it empty. Fai had declined Sakura's invitation to join them, saying that he had something he had to get done but Kurogane still thought it was strange to find him gone. He crouched down near his closet where he had dropped his backpack earlier that day to get out his textbooks. Stupid professors; the reason they probably assigned so much reading was because they were too lazy to cover all that stuff in class.

Kurogane paused in his digging when a strange, rhythmic sound reached his ears. It sounded a bit like a drum, but not quite. Whatever it was, he was pretty sure it was coming from Fai's closet. Kurogane dropped his backpack again and moved a bit closer to his roommate's side of the room. Fai's mysterious little black duffle bag was shoved between the side wall and the dresser, sticking out noticeably, and it was pulsating in time with the noise. He looked around the room guiltily, just to make sure that Fai was really gone, before reaching into the closet and pulling the bag out.

Carefully, Kurogane unzipped it and reached inside. His hand came in contact with something cold and slimy, causing him to gasp in surprise and pull it out again. There was blood on his fingers. He examined his own hand in morbid fascination; he hadn't experienced any pain and as far as he could see, his fingers were uninjured. So it wasn't his own blood, at least. This realization calmed one fear and gave birth to another; if it wasn't his blood on his hands, then whose was it?

Kurogane brought the bag out into the light and held it open so that he could see its contents without having to touch them again. When he saw what it was, his breath caught in his chest and he felt dizzy with disgust and disbelief. He jumped badly when the door suddenly opened and Fai stepped inside. When the blond saw what Kurogane was doing, he froze, a look of horror and shock on his face. Kurogane swallowed and tilted the open bag towards Fai.

"You…you'd better have a good explanation for this," he hissed.

Inside the bag was a human heart. It was still beating.

* * *

**A/N: **Oh ho ho! Cliff hanger! Though I'm fairly certain I've already given away who it belongs to. I know I've at least narrowed it down quite a bit. But anyway… I'm having mixed feelings about the way this chapter turned out. Then again, when do I not? Hey, I just noticed, I'm 1/5th of the way done! Yay! Reviews are deeply appreciated!

The next prompt will be "hollow". Stay tuned!


	11. Hollow

**A/N: **And here we have the conclusion of the mini-series… I hope you don't find it too lame. I should warn you, though, that there is a **SPOILER FOR VOL. 20!!** That said, please try to enjoy.

* * *

**Hollow**

The two of them stood staring at each other for the longest time, each so deeply shaken that they found themselves frozen in place. Kurogane searched his mind desperately for some logical explanation for Fai having such a thing in his possession, besides the most obvious one. But try as he might to find a loophole, there seemed to be no other possible reason for it; Fai must have killed brutally killed someone and ripped out their heart as some sort of twisted souvenir. The thought disturbed him deeply, not only because it meant he had been sharing a room all this time with a psychotic murderer, but because… well, he wasn't exactly sure. Of course, it was obvious to be upset by something like this but somehow, Kurogane felt that it ran deeper than that. It was almost like Fai had let him down somehow.

"Well?" Kurogane prompted in a dangerous whisper.

Fai bowed his head slightly so that his bangs hid his eyes from view. "Don't worry, Kurogane… I haven't killed anyone."

Kurogane felt a painful throb in his chest when he heard Fai use his full name but he ignored it. This wasn't the time to get all sappy. "So you just happened to find this thing on the sidewalk on your way to class one day, then, huh?" he growled. "If you don't start coughing up some answers right now…"

"The heart you hold in that bag there… is mine," Fai explained.

"I'm not in the mood for putting up with any of your bullshit!" Kurogane shouted, feeling himself begin to shake slightly. He couldn't tell if this was because of anger, fear, or sheer disbelief but that wasn't really important now.

"No, it's true," Fai said quietly.

He lifted up his shirt. If Kurogane thought he was in shock before, it was nothing to how he felt when he saw that large, gaping hole in the blond's chest. He stepped forward, a hand reflexively reaching out toward it. It couldn't be real; it was impossible. No one could live without their heart. Yet here Fai stood before him… Fai pulled his shirt back down hurriedly before Kurogane's disbelieving fingers could touch the hole in his chest. Still, Kurogane couldn't make himself lower his hand.

"How…?"

"Why did you have to look, Kurogane?" Fai asked, his voice trembling. "I probably would have told you if you'd just waited… I… had such high hopes for you…"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kurogane could see his breath in front of his face, could feel the sudden biting chill on his skin but was too preoccupied to care.

"I really thought… you might be the one… to put an end to all this…" he continued, his voice sounding choked. Then he forced a bitter laugh. "You're probably… pretty grossed out by all this…aren't you?"

"Well what the fuck do you think?!" Kurogane snapped. Fai was still as he absorbed Kurogane's reply, but then he turned around abruptly, putting his back to his roommate. "Where the hell do you think you're going, bastard?! We're not done yet!"

But apparently Fai didn't agree because he dashed out into the hall.

"Hey!!"

But it was too late; Fai was gone.

* * *

The only good thing about his confrontation with Fai was that it took place on a Thursday, and Kurogane didn't have class on Fridays. He really didn't care if he had class or not; he had no intention of going, either way. Not after what had happened. He got very little sleep that night and the little sleep he did get was haunted by dreams of his hands being covered in Fai's blood. Even once the sun came out, Kurogane found that he had no desire whatsoever to get out of bed. He had no desire to do anything. All he could do was lie there and wonder where his roommate was now and wish he had never found that cursed heart in the first place.

He was feeling guilty too, for some reason. Perhaps he had been a little too hard on Fai. Now that he thought about it, Kurogane wasn't sure why he had gotten so angry with him. Was it because he had been so shaken by his discovery that he hadn't known how else to react? Or was it because he had known that Fai was hiding something important but hadn't been expecting a secret of this magnitude? Either way, Kurogane found himself feeling distinctly depressed and unwilling to get out of bed and face the world. He didn't even bother to answer his cell phone when Tomoyo called him around noon.

In retrospect, he supposed he had always known on some level that something about Fai wasn't right. Since the beginning, the mere sight of the blond had caused his stomach to tighten and his heart to pound wildly. Kurogane had never experienced this with anyone else before. It should have tipped him off to the fact that Fai, the whole time Kurogane had known him, had been dead. As this thought drifted across his consciousness, it caused him to start as a new wave of shock crashed over him. Although he had seen the huge hole in Fai's chest for himself, watched his heart beating in that bag, this was the first time that he had made the connection that the blond was dead.

It certainly explained a lot; why no one seemed to be able to see him, the strange temperature changes that fluctuated with Fai's moods, the reason he never saw him eat or drink anything or go to class. But then Tomoyo and Sakura and Himawari had been able to see him… Kurogane's mind whirred in confusion. He gave the matter some thought, trying to work it out. His stupid cell phone rung a few more times, calls from Tomoyo interrupting his thoughts.

Eventually, he gave up and lapsed back into a contemplative moodiness. Every so often, the words "he's dead" would flash in his mind, sending another unexplainable zing of pain through his heart. He hadn't seen or heard from Fai since he had run from the room the previous night. Another thought occurred to Kurogane then: what if that had been the last time he would ever see Fai? What if he had blown it and now Fai was never going to come back?

He hadn't thought it was possible that he could be in any more shock or agony than he already was but he proved himself wrong. The thought of never seeing Fai again, of the last thing he had ever said to him being words of hate and anger brought him torment like nothing else had. Kurogane pulled his blankets tighter around his shoulders as an uncontrollable trembling overcame him, one that had nothing to do with the temperature. And though he refused to let them fall, the dark-haired boy could feel hot anguished tears filling his scarlet eyes.

* * *

It was Sunday afternoon before anyone appeared to disturb Kurogane's grief. Someone knocked loudly at his door. But like all other interruptions from the rest of the world, Kurogane had every intention of ignoring it. He didn't want to see or talk to anyone right now. His guest knocked again, louder this time. Again, he ignored it. There was a long pause, and Kurogane assumed that the person had given up and gone away. He was wrong, as it turned out. After about five minutes of silence, he heard his doorknob rattle briefly as a key was inserted into it and turned before the door was thrown open.

"What the hell…?" he croaked. He peeked reluctantly out from under his blankets to see who had dared enter his lair of lamentation. It was Tomoyo.

"Goodness, it's dark in here!" she exclaimed.

Without waiting for an invitation, she pranced into his room, tore open the curtains and the window to let in fresh air and brilliant sunlight. Kurogane moaned and pulled the blankets up over his head as he heard the door close again. He knew better than to assume that she was gone; Tomoyo would never give up so easily when it came to harassing him. Confirming his suspicions, she skipped over to his bedside and harshly snatched his blankets away. Kurogane squinted blindly in her direction. It was too bright for him to see her but he could imagine her standing there with her hands on her hips.

"Oh my… I knew something must have happened when you ignored my calls for three days but this is even worse than I imagined," Tomoyo sighed.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Kurogane growled, shielding his eyes with his arm. "Don't just let yourself into someone else's room! How did you get in here anyway?"

Seeing as how he was wearing nothing but his boxers and a tee-shirt, he felt rather exposed but if Tomoyo saw anything wrong with that, she kept it to herself.

"I got the RA to let me in. I'm sorry, Kurogane, but I had to," Tomoyo said. "You're being ridiculous. I've come to bring you to your senses."

"You don't even know what happened!" he snarled. "Don't you dare tell me that I'm being ridiculous!"

She was quiet for a moment before sitting down on his bed, putting her arms around him and pulling him close. If anyone else had tried this, Kurogane probably would have broken their arm, but as it was Tomoyo, he allowed it. The older boy let her hug him and stroke his hair soothingly.

"I take it you found out about Fai san, then?" she asked softly.

"…I can't believe you didn't tell me when it was something huge like that…" he said bitterly, though he didn't pull away.

"I'm sorry, but it wasn't my place to tell you," Tomoyo whispered. "If I had, it would have ruined everything."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"You mean… you didn't even let Fai san explain himself?" she asked, looking surprised.

"What the hell was I supposed to do? I found the guy's heart in his freaking closet! That would freak anyone out!" he said defensively.

"I know, but… you should have listened to his reasons, even if you couldn't imagine that anything he had to say would make it better," Tomoyo explained softly. "That's what you do for someone you love."

That made him pull away from her. "I don't…!" But Kurogane stopped, suddenly realizing that he wasn't so sure about that.

"Kurogane, you don't spend three days in pure agonizing heartache mourning the loss of someone you don't love," she pointed out.

Oh damn, she was right, he realized. Oh damn, he was totally in love with Fai. Oh _damn_.

Tomoyo smiled sadly, running her thumb ever so gently under his eye. "Your eyes are all red and bloodshot… You cried for him, didn't you, Kurogane?"

"I did not," he mumbled, looking away as he blushed deeply. "I just didn't sleep much…"

This was true, too; he had hardly gotten six hours of sleep since the incident with Fai.

Kurogane sighed. "What should I do, then? It's not too late, is it?" he growled, determination suddenly flaring up inside of him.

"I don't think so," she said thoughtfully. "He might be in limbo by now…"

"How do I get him out?" he asked.

"You still hold Fai san's heart in you hand," Tomoyo said, smiling slightly. "If your soul calls out to him, he will answer instinctively."

Kurogane thought that sounded a bit cheesy but this was no time to worry about his pride. If he ever wanted to see Fai's beautiful face again, he would have to do as Tomoyo said. And he _did_ want to see Fai's beautiful face again. He wanted it very badly.

"Right," he replied.

Tomoyo stood up, then leaned down to kiss his forehead. "Good luck, Kurogane." Without another word, she left him to his task.

* * *

Kurogane spent an hour tearing apart the room, frantically searching for the bag with Fai's heart in it. It was nowhere to be found. He dropped onto his bed, puzzled. Tomoyo had told him that he still had Fai's heart but he couldn't seem to locate it for the life of him. It appeared that Fai had somehow taken it with him when he'd left. Then it occurred to the dark-haired boy that a person had more than one heart, though only one of them was physically tangible.

Kurogane closed his eyes tightly to heighten his concentration. He hoped Tomoyo had been speaking metaphorically when she had told him that bit about the heart because otherwise he was screwed. After taking a deep breath to help steady himself, Kurogane focused all of his willpower on wishing that Fai was with him. He ran through every little detail of his ex-roommate's appearance in his memory, willing him to appear in the room beside him; his silky blond hair, his captivating heavy-lidded sky-blue eyes, his silly smile, his pale skin, his unnaturally tall and skinny frame, his graceful movements, his way of standing with his hips thrust out… All of it was so perfect and beautiful and Kurogane wanted nothing more than to hold Fai close and feel his comforting warmth again.

Slowly, hopefully, Kurogane opened his eyes. Even though he had focused so hard on summoning Fai to him, it still made him jump when he saw him standing there before him. As he beheld him, a thousand impulses raced through him. He wanted to punch him, scream at him, grab him, kiss him… But Kurogane choked them all back and forced himself to meet Fai's pained gaze. Still, he had to clear his throat before he was able to speak. He noticed that Fai had a familiar small black duffle bag in his hand.

"You called, Kurogane?" Fai asked quietly. The blond's eyes were almost as red as Kurogane's, as though he had spent a lot of time crying recently. The mere thought of Fai with tears running down his face sent another wave of desire to hold him crashing over Kurogane's head, but again he shoved it away. He also noticed the room suddenly getting very cold again.

"Yeah…" Kurogane said slowly, choosing his words with care. "Look, I… I know I was pretty hard on you the other night, but… I remembered that I promised to listen to you if you felt like talking." He sighed and ran a hand through his messy dark hair, trying to calm himself before continuing. "I hate people who don't keep their promises so… if there's anything you feel like saying, I'll listen."

Fai looked stunned, as though this was the last thing he had been expecting to hear from him.

"It…it won't be easy for me to talk about…" the blond said finally, bowing his head. "Even though it's been a long time… it still hurts…"

"Well, I'm not in any hurry, so as long as it takes to tell it…" Kurogane trailed off. "I mean, I know it has nothing to do with me, but I still want to know."

Fai hesitated, then sat down on the bed beside Kurogane. After another moment or two, he took Kurogane's hand and snuggled up to his side uncertainly. "Alright, but I don't think I'm strong enough to tell it by myself… Is this ok, Kurosama?" he breathed hopefully.

Kurogane felt his heart warm when he heard Fai using nicknames on him again. "Yeah, it's fine."

* * *

_White curtains, a bed… where was he? He didn't recognize this room and he had absolutely no idea how he had gotten there. There was some kind of funny plastic mask over his mouth and nose and he could feel the tube that it was attached to resting against his chest. It wasn't until the person beside him fidgeted slightly that he realized there was someone at his bedside holding his hand. He turned his head on the cheap, under-stuffed pillow and saw his brother Yuui sitting there._

"_Yuui… Where are we?" he asked._

_Yuui smiled slightly, looking deeply relieved. "The hospital. Aunt Freya is talking to the doctors right now but she'll probably be back soon. How are you feeling?"_

_Fai paused, running a quick assessment of his physical status. "My chest still hurts. What happened?"_

"_We were running laps in gym and you collapsed. When the teacher came over she heard you breathing funny and then you coughed up some blood so she called an ambulance."_

"_Oh… that can't be good, huh?" Fai said, grinning apprehensively._

"_No, probably not," Yuui agreed distantly. He bowed his head and tightened his grip on Fai's hand._

"_Ouchy… You're hurting me, Yuui!" Fai squeaked. Then he noticed his twin trembling and he reached out with his other hand to gently touch his face. "Hmm? What's wrong?"_

_Yuui lowered his head further and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "Fai… What if something's really wrong with you? I mean, what if it's something really serious? Something the doctors can't fix? What will we do…?"_

"_Hey now, Yuui!" Fai said with a nervous smile. "What kind of attitude is that to have? You're supposed to help me feel better, not try to scare me to death!"_

"_Fai! Thank goodness you're awake!" His Aunt Freya had just entered the room and when she saw Fai sitting up in the bed, she ran to his side and threw her arms around him. "How do you feel, honey?"_

_Fai smiled up at her. "Well, my chest hurts a little and I think Yuui might be cutting off the circulation in my hand, but other than that I'm perfectly fine."_

"_What did the doctors say, Aunt Freya?" Yuui asked urgently. "Do they know what's wrong with him?"_

_Some of Freya's relief from seeing Fai awake faded away and she looked worriedly between the twins. "They said they're not sure yet, but… they want to do some tests. But that can wait until after you've had some more rest."_

"_Didn't they say anything useful at all?!" Yuui persisted. "You couldn't have spent all that time talking to them if they have no idea what the problem is, right?!"_

"_Please, Yuui… try to calm down. I'm sure Fai is scared enough already…" She took a deep steadying breath before continuing. "Besides, they're still not sure so there's no need to worry you unnecessarily if it turns out to not be that big of a deal…"_

_The three of them lapsed into an uneasy silence, none of them daring to look at each other as if making eye contact would somehow cause the diseases they were imagining to manifest themselves in the small pale blond boy in the bed. Eventually, Freya leaned forward and kissed the top of Fai's head._

"_I know I might be asking the impossible, but… please try to get a little more sleep, alright?" she asked quietly. "Yuui and I will stay with you, so don't worry."_

_Fai nodded, managing a small smile as he lay back down. Yuui continued to hold his hand, though thankfully he had lessened his grip so that it was no longer painful. Fai had just closed his eyes when Yuui spoke softly._

"_Fai… you won't leave me, will you? I don't know if I could live without you…"_

_Fai's eyes snapped open again and he sat up so that he could give his twin a stern flick between the eyes._

"_Ouch! What was that for?!" Yuui asked indignantly._

"_Don't be silly, Yuui," Fai scolded lightly. "Of course I'm not gonna leave you!"_

_Yuui looked sadly at his brother as he rubbed the spot on his forehead where Fai had flicked him. "Promise?_

_Fai held up Yuui's hand and lifted his pinky finger so that he could link his own with it. "Pinky swear."_

The next few images rushed by in a blur so that Kurogane was only able to catch snippets of what was being said. He looked over at Fai quizzically.

"I'm just showing you the important bits," the blond explained distantly. "It would take way too long otherwise."

Kurogane nodded and returned his attention to what he was being shown.

"_The x-rays reveal tumors on his lungs… Lung cancer…"_

"_We can try to remove them with surgery. How old is your son again, ma'am?"_

"_He's twelve, and he's my nephew."_

"_Seems healthy otherwise…85 chance of success… Odds are in your favor…"_

_0-0-0_

"_Good luck, Fai. Yuui and I will be in the waiting room, alright? Don't be afraid, ok, honey? Everything will be fine."_

"_Remember that you promised not to die, ok? So you better not!"_

_0-0-0_

"_The surgery was a success. He's doing fine."_

"_How long until he wakes up?"_

"_Maybe an hour or two at the most. You're welcome to go in and see him."_

_0-0-0_

"_Fai, Yuui, you guys should probably go to bed soon. Tomorrow is Fai's first day back at school, after all."_

"_Ok, good night, Aunt Freya."_

_0-0-0_

"_What's wrong, Fai? Are you hurt?"_

"_My chest…"_

"_No…But they… they said they got it all…! And you've hardly had any trouble in over a year!" _

"_I can't… can't breathe…"_

_0-0-0_

"_It looks like the cancer came back…We should schedule another operation as soon as possible."_

"_Is it unusual for this to happen? Do you usually manage to remove all the tumors the first time?"_

"_I wouldn't say it's unusual. Even if we get it all, there are times when it reappears. But most of the return operations go well. I wouldn't worry too much."_

_0-0-0_

"_But this would be the fourth operation! I can't afford…!"_

"_Perhaps it would be best if we considered getting him a transplant instead of trying to remove the tumors again. It only seems to be affecting one lung, after all, and it's much easier to get find one lung replacement than two."_

"…_If it will help save him, then of course I'll agree to it…"_

_0-0-0_

"_What's the matter, Aunt Freya? You look…worried…"_

"…_It's nothing, Fai, honey. Go back to bed, alright?"_

"_Those are medical bills on the table, aren't they? This is…all my fault…"_

"_No, it's not! There's no way you could have helped it; it's not your fault!"_

"_So that's… why you had to get another job…? Because of me?"_

"_Please, Fai. Just go back to bed."_

_0-0-0_

"…_Yuui? Is that you? How come you're home so late? I was worried about you!"_

"_I was… over at Fujimoto kun's house…"_

"_You're always late for school these days, too… I feel like I hardly ever see you anymore."_

"_I know. I'm sorry, Fai. I'm just… really busy right now."_

"…_Why don't you tell me things anymore? Are you mad at me? You used to tell me everything."_

"_I'm not…mad at you. I just… You wouldn't like it if you knew…"_

"_Yuui… you're not doing anything dangerous, are you?"_

"_Of course not! I'm… I just wanted to… Forget it. Just go to sleep, alright?"_

"_Everyone keeps staying stuff like that to me. If you don't start giving me some answers, I'm afraid I'll start to go a little bit crazy."_

"…_I got a job. I… I wanted to help Aunt Freya pay for your operation…"_

"_Yuui…"_

"_Don't tell her, ok? When I asked her if I could get a job, she said she didn't like the idea, so…"_

_Fai got up from his bed and put his arms around his brother. "Thank you so much, Yuui… but… you shouldn't be putting yourself out like this… just for me…"_

"_Don't be stupid, Fai! If you don't get this transplant, you might…"_

"_Still…"_

"_Still nothing! This is important!"_

"…_I love you, Yuui… Please, don't wear yourself out…ok?"_

"_I won't."_

_0-0-0_

"_Yuui, the school called me."_

"_Ah…"_

"_Would you like to explain to me why you're on the verge of suspension for missing so much class?"_

"_Aunt Freya… please don't be too angry with him… He's only trying to help…"_

"_Do you have something to do with this, Fai?"_

"_I'm afraid so. It's… all because of me."_

"_Fai, I told you not to tell her…"_

"_Well, I can't let you take all the credit for this, Yuui!"_

"_I got a job to help pay the medical expenses… I want to get all the hours I possibly can, so…"_

"_Yuui… It's great that you want to help but you can't give up school like that. You're only seventeen! You're too young to have to worry about things like this! Just leave this up to me. I can handle it on my own."_

_0-0-0_

"_Yuui, you… I appreciate what you're doing for me, but… You can't keep going like this! You don't look good at all! You hardly eat, hardly sleep… All you have time for is work, school and homework! It's not healthy!"_

"_Shut up, Fai! I've already decided that I'm going to do this so just back off, alright?!"_

"…"

"…_Sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just… really stressed out and things aren't going so good at school or my job…"_

"…_I love you, Yuui…"_

"_I love you too, Fai…"_

_0-0-0_

"_What's this I hear about you becoming violent at school all of a sudden?"_

"_Leave me alone. I have homework to do."_

"_Don't speak to me like that, Yuui! It's not my fault you beat some kid up, so don't you dare try to take it out on me!"_

"_It _is_ your fault! If you would just work harder then I wouldn't even have to have this damn job to make up for your shortcomings!"_

_0-0-0_

"_Yuui… you shouldn't have yelled at Aunt Freya like that… You know she's working just as hard as you are…"_

"_Shut the hell up! I'm doing all of this to help keep your sorry ass alive so don't you dare try telling me what to do, Fai!"_

"_I just want the old Yuui back… You're really starting to scare me…"_

_At that moment, Yuui snapped and whipped around to punch his twin hard in the stomach. Fai hit the ground, curling up on his side and clutching his stomach in pain. Then he coughed up blood. Yuui stared down at him, suddenly realizing what he had done. He dropped to his knees at Fai's side and reached a trembling hand out to gently touch his brother's hair._

"_Fai…I'm…I'm so sorry…"

* * *

_

Kurogane blinked in shock. The images had stopped flashing through his head but that last scene remained etched vividly in his mind. Fai was no longer cuddled up at his side but had laid his head in the dark-haired boy's lap. Silent tears rolled down his cheeks and his pale lips trembled. Kurogane tangled his fingers into Fai's silken blond hair soothingly.

"You can stop if it hurts too much," he said quietly, the gentleness in his voice even surprising him.

"He donated… his own lung to me after that…" Fai choked. "He should have re-recovered… after the surgery, but…"

"So that's when you decided to…" Kurogane stopped speaking when Fai's fingers closed shakily on his shirt.

"I'm… I'm sorry, Kurochan, but… is it ok if I take a little break…f-from the storytelling? I can't take… any more right now…"

"Yeah," Kurogane said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "Go ahead."

"H-hold me… for a little while?" Fai asked hopefully.

Kurogane could feel himself blushing. "Sure," he mumbled.

He pulled his legs out from under Fai and tugged the blond down on the bed beside him. Fai buried his face in Kurogane's shirt. Although Kurogane hated to see his roommate so sad, he couldn't smother the feelings of elation that were erupting in his chest as he held Fai close once more. He was so happy that he didn't even realize how cold the room was.

* * *

"Alright, Kuromyuu," Fai said resignedly. "I'm ready to tell you the rest of my story. I mean, if you still want to hear it, that is."

"Of course I still want to hear it," Kurogane replied. "I'm listening."

"You said… you had a dream about me and Ashura, right?" Fai asked. "What did you see?"

Kurogane closed his eyes, trying to recall the dream he had had almost two weeks ago. "You two were sitting on a bed. Someone had died… That Ashura guy said something about you finding someone to love and that there was a way to do it even if it took forever… Then I saw a lot of blood, and that was it."

Fai smiled bitterly. "I guess there's no need for me to show you that part again, then, huh? How about if I just explain the details of the process he was performing? Is that ok?"

"What the hell do you mean by 'process'?!" Kurogane growled. "That bastard killed you!"

Fai shook his head. "I'm not dead; not exactly. It's more like… suspended animation, I suppose. I'm not really dead but I'm not fully alive either, because I don't eat or drink and I can't get hurt or die."

"So you're saying that you can snap yourself out of it whenever you feel like?" Kurogane asked.

"No, it's not like that at all," Fai explained. "I can't wake myself up. Someone else has to do it… Maybe I should show you that part with me and Ashura again. It might be easier to understand that way."

Kurogane nodded, but at the same time he couldn't help feeling a pang of jealousy. The one thing about his dream that he remembered clearly without even having to try was Fai's apparent love for Ashura. He stole a glance at Fai, wondering if he still harbored those feelings for that guy. Unfortunately, the blond saw him looking.

"Hmm? Is something wrong, Kuropuu?" he asked.

"Nothing's wrong!" Kurogane snapped. "Are you gonna show me or not!"

"Alright, Kuropon, I'm working on it…" Fai said with an apologetic smile. "It's just that… this part still hurts a little, too."

Kurogane gritted his teeth as Fai's memory began to play back in his mind.

"_What's wrong, Fai?" he whispered. "Are you alright?"_

"_He…he's dead…" Fai croaked. "It's all… all my f-fault… If I hadn't…if I had t-taken better care of him… If I… had never been b-born… My…fault…"_

_He was silent but continued to stroke his hair._

"_I… should have been the one to die… I was the one who…"_

"_You didn't plan for this to happen. There's no way you could have known. It's not your fault."_

"_If it wasn't f-for me…he never would h-have had to… It…it should have been me that died… He… he died to s-save me…"_

"_Would it help if you had someone to love you?" he asked, almost inaudibly._

_Fai's fists clenched on top of his sheets; as much as he loved him, he wanted so badly to just punch him right in the face. What he needed right now was comfort and understanding, not someone to rub salt in his wounds. Then another possibility came to mind and he turned his face so that he could look at his dark-haired roommate._

"_Do you mean you…?"_

_His face betrayed nothing; no hint of regret, no shred of pity. "No, not me…I'm sorry Fai, but we're not meant for each other."_

_Fai's fists clenched his sheets even harder, his knuckles turning white with the effort, and he buried his face in his damp pillow again._

"_No one… could love me… I am…disgusting… I've killed…"_

"_Someone who didn't know… I know it sounds impossible but it's not. You're not a bad person, Fai."_

_Fai was silent for a long time. "…Even…if s-such a person did exist… I don't know if I can forgive m-myself long enough… t-to allow such a thing…"_

"_It will take time, that's true… How long it takes is entirely up to you."_

"_An eternity… How can I ever forgive myself…for something like this…?"_

"_An eternity is a long time… But if that's how long it takes, even then there is a way."_

"_I'm n-not in the mood… for solving riddles…"_

"_I can do it for you. I can ensure you that amount of time. You will be ageless, preserved forever in your current state until that person finds you."_

_Fai turned his face again to look at him, though he could hardly see him because of the tears in his eyes. "It's not…possible."_

_He finally smiled. "It _is_ possible. It will hurt at first but after that, I promise you won't feel a thing. Nothing will ever hurt you again."_

_Fai sat up and wiped his eyes. "…If you say you can do it… then I… I t-trust you… Ashura…"_

_Ashura smiled. "I'll explain the procedure to you first, just to make sure you understand what you're getting yourself into."_

_Fai nodded resolutely._

"_I'm going to remove your heart."_

_Fai stared at him with large, round eyes. "Wh-what…?"_

"_Don't worry, Fai; it won't kill you. Quite the opposite, in fact. It will put you into a state of suspension that will allow you to continue your 'life' almost normally without having to worry about aging or death. This way, you can continue your search for your special person across eternity, if you have to. However, these things do not come without certain drawbacks, I'm afraid."_

"_Like what?" Fai asked, looking slightly repulsed, but at the same time, interested._

"_You won't be able to eat, drink or really even feel anything. You'll be almost like a ghost, except you'll be mostly solid."_

"_Mostly solid…?" Fai repeated questioningly._

"_You can't walk through walls or anything but people who can't see you won't be able to touch you, either. That's the other drawback; you'll only be visible to people who aren't in love. You'll still be able to see them, of course, and you'll be able to tell who they are just by looking. I suppose it could be seen as a good thing, really. This way, you'll be able to tell easily who isn't available."_

"_Hold on…" Fai said, frowning slightly. "If I can't feel anything, then how will I know if I love someone?"_

"_You only won't be able to feel anything when you're far away from your heart. If someone shows an interest in you, you only need to bring them close enough to it to see how you feel about them. Being separated from it will ensure that you never feel heartbreak or despair. However, if you are too close to it, you will still be able to feel those things so you must be careful," Ashura explained._

"_But I'll be stuck like this even after I find someone…?"_

"_If you find someone that you love, someone who loves you back, you can have them put your heart back in. At that point you'll be able to resume your life. However, if someone who doesn't really love you tries to replace your heart, they will be burned and there's a good chance that it will kill them, so choose wisely," Ashura warned. "I think that's all the explanation I have to give you. Will you do it?"_

_Fai was silent for a long time, thinking over his options carefully. Finally he nodded._

"_I'll do it."

* * *

_

The flow of memories stopped. Fai let out a deep sigh, as though he had just gone through something exhausting and was relieved to finally be through with it. Kurogane noted that he was shaking slightly again. He pulled the blond into his lap and held him close, stroking his hair and cheek gently. For a long time, Fai just cuddled against him, recovering from having to relive his painful memories for Kurogane.

"Hey," Kurogane said slowly. "There's something I don't get here. If you had this done so that you wouldn't have to hurt anymore, then why are you keeping the heart so close? Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose?"

Fai managed a small smile. "Well, for a long time I did keep it far away like Ashura said, but after a while… I figured that my search for someone special would be pointless if I didn't even know when I had found them. And I decided that after all the pain I've caused other people, I deserve to suffer. But I couldn't undo what I had done. That can only be done by the one that I… love…"

Fai fell into a hopeful silence and Kurogane was pretty sure that each of them was wondering the same thing: "Does he love me?" The room had become considerably warmer with Fai's hesitant wishful thinking. But it seemed that neither of them could quite make himself confess his feelings.

"Kurochuu…" Fai said timidly. "I was just… I mean, not that I have a problem with it at all, but I was just wondering…why are you holding me like this?"

Kurogane blushed. "Well, I was the one who made you tell me all this stuff, right?" he said quickly. "If it's hurting you to have to do it, I figured it was the least I could do to help you feel better. But if you don't like it…"

"No!" Fai insisted. "I… I _do_ like it! It makes me feel… warm and safe…and happy…"

The dark-haired boy blushed even more deeply as he nuzzled his nose into Fai's soft hair. It was taking all his willpower not to kiss him. When he could stand it no longer, Kurogane forced himself to speak again. "Do you… want your heart put back in? I mean, if there was someone to do it?"

"Of course!" Fai replied anxiously. "More than anything! And it… it would really mean a lot to me if…" He stopped there, apparently too afraid to continue that sentence.

Another eternity went by.

"I'll give it a shot," Kurogane mumbled finally.

Fai started violently and pulled away so that he could look Kurogane in the eye. The taller boy was surprised to find Fai's eyes glimmering and a definite tinge of pink to his cheeks. "K-Kurosama…are you…are you sure? You heard what Ashura said; if you're not entirely positive… you could die! I… I would never want that for you…"

Kurogane shook his head resolutely, his face set. "No, I'll do it. Where's the heart?"

With trembling hands, Fai picked the small black duffle bag up off the floor and gave it to him. Kurogane took it from him, his own hands completely steady. Somehow, he didn't share Fai's apprehension. He was sure that this would work. Kurogane unzipped the bag as Fai removed his shirt to allow him access to the hole in his chest.

"Kuromyuu… if…if this doesn't work…I just want you to know that…" Fai swallowed hard and made himself meet his roommate's eyes. "I l-love you…"

Kurogane couldn't stifle a tiny smile as he took Fai's heart into his hand. "Don't worry, it'll work."

He leaned forward and gently kissed Fai's perfect lips. He began to pull away, but Fai pursued him, pressing their lips together once more for a longer, deeper kiss. Before they had even pulled apart, Kurogane plunged the heart into Fai's chest. Fai gasped and jerked away suddenly and for just the smallest moment, Kurogane feared that he had done the wrong thing. Then, before his very eyes, the hole in Fai's chest began to mend itself. The skin knitted itself back together, leaving a stretch of beautiful, snowy white flesh in its place. There was a loud crash like a clap of thunder and waves of golden light pulsated out from Fai's body in time with his heartbeat.

When the strange events had subsided, Fai was lying on his back across Kurogane's lap, his chest heaving with his restored breath. His eyelids fluttered and his hand drifted absentmindedly to his chest, his slender fingers running across his new skin. Kurogane brushed a strand of hair out of Fai's face and took his other hand delicately, stroking his fingers with his thumb. When Fai winced in pain, Kurogane kissed the back of his hand.

"You ok?" he asked.

"Yeah…" Fai panted, struggling to sit up. "My chest just feels… so heavy… like there's a weight on it…"

Kurogane put his arm behind Fai's back to help him stay upright and then tilted his blond head back slightly so that he could kiss his lips again.

"But when Kurotan kisses me like that… it feels so much lighter," he breathed happily. Fai threw his arms around Kurogane's broad shoulders and began exploring the tan skin of his roommate's neck with his mouth. They were so wrapped up in each other that they hardly even noticed when the door flew open and their neighbor Hideki rushed in.

"I heard a huge crash from in here! Are you guys…" He stopped suddenly, noticing that the two of them were somewhat busy. "Oh! S-sorry! I didn't mean to…! I didn't know…! Ah…bye!"

He slammed the door hurriedly. Fai just giggled at Hideki's embarrassment as he and Kurogane continued to shower each other with kisses.

* * *

**A/N: **Nnngh! No likey! Boo hoo…

That does it for the mini series, I guess. I still haven't decided which prompt to choose next, but I still have a week of Christmas break left so I'll probably churn out at least one more chapter before it's time for me to go back. Stay tuned!


	12. Ensconce

**A/N: **What can I say about this…? I wanted to do something more lighthearted after the previous chapter so I tried to do humor for this but I seem to be having very little success in that genre recently, so… While it's definitely got a lighter tone than the last chapter, I'm afraid it's really not all that funny. Sorry! I tried really hard!

But enough excuses… For those not familiar with the word "ensconce", allow me to define it for you as it is given in the Oxford Pocket American Dictionary of Current English. **Ensconce** /enskons, in-/ _v.tr. _(usu. _refl._ or in _passive_) establish or settle comfortably, safely, or secretly.

For a long time, I thought about switching Kurogane and Fai's roles in this story but I figured that they were better suited for these parts that they ended up in. Enjoy! (I hope!)

* * *

**Ensconce**

Lame. That's what his life was. Pure, uninterrupted, inexcusable lame. Kurogane lie sprawled out on the floor in the middle of his enormous toy room, staring up at the elaborately decorated ceiling, half wishing that the majestic red dragon painted there would come to life and swallow him up. And of course, he would have no choice then but to bravely slay it, thereby saving himself, everyone in the castle, and the entire kingdom. Not that the idea of being covered in the bodily fluids of some giant creature or being fawned over any more than he already was especially appealed to him but it had to be more interesting than what he was doing now, right?

Kurogane heaved a sigh, picking half-heartedly at one of the jewels that was sewn onto the sleeve of his robes. When he had gone to bother his mother for some entertainment, she had given him what was quite possibly the least helpful advice he had ever received: "Why don't you try reading a book, Kurogane, dear?" Kurogane snorted as he remembered those words. _Why don't I try reading a book? I don't know… maybe for the same reason you don't try sticking needles in your eyes._

Really, he supposed he ought to have known better than to ask her for entertainment; she gave him the same response for basically every problem he brought to her. Why should today have been any different? But he had been so bored that he had tricked himself into thinking that today she might say something else. Not that he hadn't tried reading before; he had plenty of volumes full of the adventures of brave knights and noble princes and the lovely princesses that they rescued. It always just ended up frustrating him, though, when he heard about all the exciting things that other princes were getting to do and all he had to occupy himself with were stupid books and toys and servants. Talk about unfair!

Kurogane turned his head lazily, to stare at the mountain of playthings on his right, arranged carefully into a pyramid shape. He supposed he could try pulling out one of the things in the middle of it and watching it tumble to the ground again. But he had already done that four times today, and although it gave him a small bit of pleasure to watch everything come crashing down and then see one of the servants rush in to find their carefully arranged tower of toys in shambles once again he really didn't feel like doing it now. Even that kind of thing lost its allure after so many times.

Eventually, Prince Kurogane settled on going out to the courtyard to practice his swordsmanship. Again. He wasn't really sure why he kept practicing so hard with his sword, aside from the fact that there was nothing else to do. It wasn't like he would ever need that skill, not with their kingdom at peace like it was.

He knew it was wrong to wish for war to come to his country but he couldn't help himself; he was just so damn bored. Plus, they had the royal guard to do stuff like that for them so he would likely never see battle anyway. _Maybe someday_, he thought_, I'll run away from this godforsaken place. Then I'll be on my own, with none of these damn servants making a big deal over me all the time._ Even though he knew the day when he could actually hope to pull off something like that was pretty far away, it lightened his spirits a little as he drove his sword deep into one of the wooden practice posts.

* * *

_Sooooo hungry_… He moaned as he crouched down and clutched his empty stomach, as if that would somehow help ease the pain. His stomach, however, as if in defiance to his hopefulness, just growled loudly. The dirty little blond boy squeezed his hand tighter around a few silver coins that he had just succeeded in stealing by slicing a small hole in a woman's purse while she was busy talking with a friend. Fai clenched his teeth as his tummy rumbled again, his mind torn. He knew that he needed to save these coins but he was afraid that if he didn't get some real food soon, he might collapse. To spend or not to spend…? 

Since his parents had died, Fai figured that he had become the country's finest human connoisseur of grass. The stuff was generally pretty gross but beggars couldn't be choosers. And to the grass's credit, it had gotten him by a lot of nights when he hadn't been able to find any actual food. What wouldn't he give for some roast beef, or even just a piece of bread? Fai clenched his eyes shut, trying to stem the flow of delicious images that was invading his starved mind. Even if he would, by some amazing stroke of fortune, come into ownership of such delicacies, how could he possibly bring himself to enjoy it when _that person _was surely doing just as bad, if not worse than Fai was? Then again, how could Fai ever hope to collect enough coins if he starved to death?

His mind made up, Fai staggered toward the bakery across the street. He would simply have to work harder on his stealing to make up for it. The thought made him groan inwardly; he always felt so guilty whenever he stole money from someone. Fai entered the bakery, his legs feeling even weaker with hunger as the smells of breads and desserts washed over him.

A tall blond man with glasses and gentle brown eyes was ordering something at the moment so Fai got in line behind him, shuffling his bare, dirty feet impatiently on the wooden floor. When the man pulled his hand out of his pocket to pay for his order, a bill poked its head out from inside, catching Fai's eye immediately. It was just hanging there, half-way out of the guy's pocket, fluttering tauntingly in the wind. If Fai didn't take it, he was sure the man would just lose it on his way home anyway. The town was practically crawling with pickpockets and thieves who would happily snatch it and probably threaten the man until he gave them more. Fai would be doing him a service by taking it. With trembling fingers, Fai reached for the bill.

"Can I help you, young lady?" the man asked him, turning around quite suddenly and seeing Fai's outstretched hand. Fai started and looked up at him fearfully.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" the man said quickly, looking genuinely apologetic. "You have such long hair, I thought you were a girl! Is there something you wanted, young man?"

Fai hitched a weak, trembling smile onto his lips.

"Sir, there's a bill hanging out of your pocket! If you're not careful, you'll surely attract the attention of thieves like that one there!" the bakery worker exclaimed, pointing at Fai accusingly. "You're lucky you caught him in time!"

The man looked from the bakery worker to the blond little urchin in surprise as though the thought hadn't even occurred to him. Fai was trembling from head to toe, awaiting some kind of punishment. The man knelt down before him so that he could meet Fai's blue eyes and brushed a strand of hair out of the boy's face. Fai stared back at him uncertainly. He had just tried to steal from him so why was this guy looking at him with such a kind smile?

"Poor boy," he said softly, his eyes filled with pity. "You look like you're starving. Here."

He reached into the paper sack containing his bakery goods and pulled out a large chocolate chip muffin. Fai swallowed thickly as he eyed the treat; he wanted that muffin very, _very_ badly. The man handed it to him. Fai looked from the food to his savior in hopeful disbelief before accepting it and quickly taking a chomp out of it. He smiled brightly in gratitude as the sweetness of the chocolate and bread spread throughout his mouth. The man watched him devour the muffin, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Do you have a home, son?" he asked.

Fai shook his head but was too busy enjoying his food to feel sorry for himself.

"Hmm…" the man said slowly. "Why don't you come home with me, then? We'll get you some new clothes, give you a haircut, a bath and a proper meal. Would you like that?"

Fai peered curiously up at the man from beneath his long, dirty blond tresses. He couldn't fathom why this guy would possibly treat him so nicely after he had just caught Fai trying to steal from him, but all the things he had just mentioned sounded extremely appealing so he figured that it was best not to question his motives. Plus, the guy had muffins; what more could he ask for?

Fai flashed him another bright smile. "Yes, very much!"

The man seemed pleased as he reached down and look Fai's little hand, leading him out of the bakery and down the dusty road.

"My name is Fujitaka Kinomoto," the man said warmly. "And who might you be?"

"…Fai," he replied hesitantly. "My name is Fai."

* * *

Fai's eyes grew large and round when Fujitaka led him straight to the palace. He suddenly felt very nervous, though he had to admit that he could hardly ask for better lodgings, the location being just an added bonus. It was comforting to know that he was closer to _that person_ now. But it all seemed much too good to be true. Perhaps Fujitaka planned on turning him over to the guards after all? 

"Do you live here, Kinomoto sama?" Fai asked, giving the man a smile even though he was on the verge of wetting himself.

"Yes, I'm one of the king's advisors," Fujitaka explained, returning his smile. "But you can call me Fujitaka. And you don't need to use 'sama', alright, Fai kun?"

"Ok, Fujitaka san," the boy said, his heart-rate slowing just a little. Fujitaka wouldn't let Fai call him by his first name if he planned on handing him over to the authorities, right?

Fai followed in silence, unsure of what else he could say to this stranger who was inviting him into his home. He might have been more wary about accepting Fujitaka's offer, but he had such a friendly smile and a gentle, serene air about him that the blond couldn't help but trust him (and those muffins he was carrying didn't hurt either). He just wished he could say the same about the rest of the people he had seen so far in the castle. As Fujitaka led him down the long, impressive hallway, everyone they met either gasped or made noises of distaste when they saw the dirty little urchin that the king's advisor had brought home with him. Fai hid behind his curtain of grimy blond hair so that he wouldn't have to look them in the eyes.

Eventually, Fujitaka stopped at the last of the glossy red doors in their current hallway and fished a key out of his pocket. He unlocked the door, ushered Fai inside, then followed, closing the door behind them. Fai couldn't help being impressed when he saw Fujitaka's living quarters. There was a large canopy bed with red and gold sheets, a glossy oak desk with an ornate lamp sitting on it, a matching oak shelf full of books, and lush red carpet, all bathed in the warm glow of a crystal chandelier that hung in the center of the room.

To his right, Fai could see a spacious bathroom made of white marble. After having lived on the streets for so long, Fai could hardly believe that he was going to be allowed to stay in such a place. He wondered if maybe he should turn the offer down, feeling that his mere presence might somehow defile the place beyond repair.

"I'm sure you're still hungry," Fujitaka said, smiling at Fai's reaction to his new home. "I'll give you this roll for now and you can take a bath while I get one of the servants to bring you some real food."

Fujitaka reached into his bakery bag once more and pulled out a roll which he handed to Fai. Fai began to reach for it but stopped, looking questioningly up at him.

"Are you sure this is ok, Fujitaka san?" he asked uncertainly.

"Of course, Fai kun," Fujitaka said kindly.

Fai searched his face for some indication that he was lying as previous experience told him he must be, but when he found none his smile slowly returned. "…Thank you."

"You're very welcome," Fujitaka replied, patting Fai affectionately on the head.

* * *

Kurogane dragged his feet as he wandered aimlessly through the castle hallways. As much as other people annoyed him, he couldn't help but wish he had a playmate, someone his own age and who didn't treat him like he was extremely fragile or as though he was likely to explode at any moment. He knew that these criteria were basically impossible, considering who he was, but he couldn't help but wish. 

He had just reached the end of the hallway he was roaming through when he heard someone singing faintly from inside one of the rooms. Kurogane paused and listened carefully, trying to figure out where the song was coming from. It didn't take him long at all to trace it to the nearby living quarters of one of his father's advisors. But the voice didn't sound like a man at all; it was high and soft and sweet. He guessed it belonged to a girl or perhaps a young boy. After casting a careful glance in both directions to make sure no one was coming, Kurogane slipped silently into the room to investigate the singer more closely.

The singing was drifting from the bathroom, along with occasional splashing noises. It sounded like whoever it was was in the bath. Kurogane knew it was wrong to peek on people in the bath, especially if the person might be a girl, but he was just so curious that he couldn't restrain himself. He prided himself on knowing everyone in the palace and most of their goings-on, telling himself that this kind of research was necessary if he ever wanted to be a good warrior or even a good prince, but this voice didn't sound the least bit familiar to him. Slowly, carefully, the prince eased the door open a crack and peeked inside.

He was shocked and even a little bit hopeful to find that the newcomer seemed to be around his own age, if height was anything to go on. He couldn't tell much else about them because he could only see the person from behind. Then he noticed that the person had their extremely long hair draped over the front of one shoulder as they washed it carefully. Probably a girl, then. It had to be, with that long hair, unnaturally slight build and delicate, fair skin. Kurogane wished he could get a look at her face (he _certainly_ wasn't interested in any other part of her that he might glimpse in the process). If the portion of her that he could see was anything to go on, he was willing to bet that she wasn't completely hideous. A small blush crept up into his cheeks as he watched her graceful movements and listened to the melodic sound of her voice. He was hopeful when she stood up and headed over to the bathtub but she kept her back to him the whole time. _Dammit! Just let me see your face, stupid girl! _

At that moment, Kurogane's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. He shut the bathroom door as quickly and quietly as he could, then dove for cover under the canopy bed. His father's advisor, the owner of these living quarters, Fujitaka Kinomoto, entered carrying a plate of food with a cover over it to keep it warm. He paused at the bathroom door and knocked.

"I've got your food, Fai kun," he called. "Are you almost done?"

"Just about," the visitor replied cheerfully. "Oh, Fujitaka san, is it ok if I play with your rubber duck?"

Fujitaka seemed stunned for a moment, then looked slightly sheepish. "Oh dear, so you found that, did you? Yes, go ahead, then."

"Yay! Thank you!"

Kurogane was kind of glad that he had stayed in here rather than trying to make a run for it; at least now he knew the newcomer's name. But he was slightly confused by the fact that Fujitaka had addressed his guest with the suffix "kun". Although some people used it on girls that they had a close yet casual relationship with, Fujitaka didn't strike Kurogane as the type to do that. Plus the speaking voice didn't sound quite as girly as the singing one. Did that mean that this Fai was a boy after all?

Oh man… that meant he had been blushing over the naked form of a boy! Kurogane rolled over on his back under the bed, just barely managing to stifle a groan of disgust, and clutched his stomach, feeling slightly ill. He tried to convince himself that he couldn't be blamed, that the naked body of anyone would embarrass him, and that it was Fai's fault for looking so damn girly in the first place. But why then, even after finding out that Fai was a boy, did his heart start pounding when he thought about getting a glimpse of his face? This was so wrong…

Trying to push these thoughts from his mind, Prince Kurogane began to devote his attention to looking for a chance to escape. Fujitaka didn't look like he was planning to leave anytime soon; instead he busied himself with searching through his wardrobe for something. To Kurogane's chagrin, the wardrobe was positioned between his current hiding spot and the door so there was no hope of him escaping while Fujitaka was immersed in his search. The advisor dug out some folded-up clothing and shook them out, holding them up so that he could look at them. They were much too small for Fujitaka himself so Kurogane figured that they probably had belonged to his son who was now grown and worked in the kitchens.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. "Come in!" Fujitaka called. "Ah, Yukito san, there you are. Fai kun is almost finished with his bath so he ought to be out soon. And Touya! I didn't expect you to come along."

Touya, Fujitaka's son who worked in the kitchens, shrugged. "I'm just here with him," he said, nodding in Yukito's direction. That made sense to Kurogane; he knew that those two were, ah… "special friends". Touya was rarely seen without the company of Yukito the royal barber when he wasn't busy working.

"I'm here too, Fujitaka san!" a young female voice said from the vicinity of the doorway. In bounced Tomoyo, the royal tailor, the only person in the castle whose company Kurogane sometimes enjoyed. Despite her lofty position, she was a few years younger than him even, only nine years old. But the king had recognized her outstanding talents the moment he had seen them and hired her on the spot.

"Good evening, Tomoyo chan," Fujitaka and Yukito said, almost in unison.

"Hi," Touya said, sounding more or less indifferent.

"Hello, everyone!" Tomoyo chirped. "Where is Fai kun? I can't wait to meet him!"

"I knew you'd be excited about him, Tomoyo chan," Fujitaka said, smiling warmly. "I think he'll be a perfect model for your designs. He's still in the bath, but he said he'd be out soon."

Kurogane sighed and rested his head on his arms as Fujitaka, Tomoyo and Yukito launched into eager conversation about Fai and Touya just stood there listening. Kurogane had wanted the room to clear out, not fill up! Why was everyone and there grandma here all of a sudden? It looked like it might be a while before he managed to get out.

Finally, the bathroom door opened and Fai, along with a cloud of steam from the hot bathwater, stepped out. Kurogane still couldn't see Fai's face from where he was currently, not unless he had poked his head out from under the bed, which obviously wasn't an option. But he could see that Fai was dressed in some of Touya's old clothes, a pair of black pants and a simple navy blue shirt with a hakama-style collar that was secured by ties at his side. Tomoyo let out an excited squeal and hurried over to him.

"I'm Tomoyo, the royal tailor! It's very nice to meet you, Fai san!" she trilled, bowing politely, and then beginning to circle him, examining the boy from all angles.

"Erm…It's very nice to meet you, too, Tomoyo chan," Fai said, and Kurogane could tell that he was smiling even though there was a hint of discomfort in his voice from being under such scrutiny.

"You were right, Fujitaka san!" Tomoyo continued. "He's perfect! Absolutely gorgeous!"

"Oh…Thank you," Fai replied, now sounding slightly embarrassed.

The way Tomoyo carried on about him only made Kurogane more curious to know what he looked like. He was going to be pissed if this guy turned out to not be radiating sunlight and shitting daisies; Tomoyo never made such a fuss over him (not that he really cared, but she had never said a word about his appearance and he thought of himself as decent-looking, at least).

"Why don't we let Fai kun eat before you start cutting his hair, Yukito san," Fujitaka suggested, interrupting Tomoyo's joyous remarks about Fai's build. "He looked quite hungry when I found him and all he's had so far was a muffin and a roll."

"Oh, of course," Tomoyo sighed blissfully, stepping back to allow Fai to sit down at the desk where his dinner was waiting. "I can hardly wait to get started! I have so many ideas!"

* * *

Kurogane suppressed a yawn and rubbed his eyes tiredly. It had to be almost eleven o'clock by now and he was still in Fujitaka's room, hiding under the bed. He had no means of telling time from where he was but he guessed that he had been there for a good three or four hours now. Even though his mother knew about his habit of slipping off to wander the halls and courtyards, she was probably going to be angry with him when he got back for being out so late. The thought filled him with dread; even though his mother was always smiling, he was still afraid of making her mad. But in his defense, there was really no way for him to get out without being seen and he certainly didn't want that. 

How much more could they possibly do to Fai in this one night? Kurogane had already watched a good three feet of Fai's long golden hair fall to the ground as Yukito cut it and listened to way too much of Tomoyo's excited chatter as she took his measurements for his new clothing. Tomoyo was now in the process of sewing the outfit that she and Fai had selected from an array of designs she had drawn up on the spot. Kurogane couldn't see what kind of progress she was making on this venture of hers but when Touya asked impatiently whether she was done yet, she had consoled him by saying "almost!". The young prince had begun falling asleep when Tomoyo finally announced that she was finished.

"Wow… It looks great!" Fai marveled, sounding genuinely impressed. "You're amazing, Tomoyo chan!"

"Why, thank you, Fai san," Tomoyo giggled. "I can't wait to see how it looks on you! Would you mind changing into it so I can see if anything needs to be fixed?"

Kurogane shook his head to help wake himself up as Fai disappeared briefly into the bathroom to change. When he emerged again, Tomoyo let out a fresh squeal of delight.

"Oh, Fai san!" she gasped. "It suits you perfectly! You're so adorable, I can hardly breathe! What do all of you think? Do you like it?"

The others expressed their agreement, even Touya, who had shown very little interest in the whole process.

"Hmm…" Fai said slowly, presumably looking over his new clothes. "Why don't we ask that boy who has been waiting so patiently under the bed what he thinks of it?"

Kurogane started so violently at this proposal that he smacked his head on the underside of the bed, but was so busy wondering if his heart had stopped beating to really even notice the pain.

"Eh? You see someone under the bed, Fai san?" Tomoyo asked, sounding astonished.

"No…rather, I can sense him there," Fai explained, approaching Kurogane's hiding spot.

Kurogane, in a wild panic, scrambled against the far wall, throwing his back against it in a vain hope that some trapdoor would miraculously open up there and whisk him away from the impending mortification that would surely befall him. Of course, he didn't have that kind of luck, so he only ended up looking even more foolish when Fai got down on his stomach to find him.

"Oh dear, I'm afraid I might have frightened him by letting you all know where he is," Fai said with an apologetic grin.

Kurogane stopped scratching furiously at the back wall like a trapped rat when he saw Fai's face. It was just as beautiful as he had imagined; fair, perfect skin, lively blue, heavy-lidded eyes, a gentle smile, and recently cropped blond hair that fell gracefully around his face and across his forehead. Kurogane could feel himself blushing again uncontrollably. What the hell was wrong with him? Why was he getting all worked up over some stupid, scrawny peasant boy? He was the crown prince, dammit! He shouldn't be cowering under here like some kind of scared rodent!

"Why don't you come on out of there, hmm?" Fai offered in a soothing voice, extending a hand to help him. "It can't be very comfortable under there and you've been hiding there for such a long time. It's alright, don't be shy."

Kurogane glared at him and immerged from under the bed, pointedly ignoring Fai's outstretched hand. He stood up and brushed the wrinkles out of his clothes with as much dignity as he could muster in his situation, and continued to scowl as he folded his arms defiantly and tried to keep the color out of his cheeks. Everyone but Fai looked stunned to see him.

"Hmph! I'm _not_ shy, idiot, and I sure as hell don't need help from a useless peasant like you!" he shot acidly at Fai.

"Y-your majesty…!" Fujitaka stammered, finally finding his voice. "What are you doing here?!"

"It's _my_ palace," Kurogane fumed, though he could feel the heat in his face rising in spite of his efforts to control it. "I can be in here if I want."

"Well, since it seems that I'm the only one here who hasn't had the pleasure of meeting you yet, allow me to introduce myself," Fai said politely, breaking the awkward silence in the room. "My name is Fai."

He extended his hand again to shake Kurogane's but the prince just stared blankly at it. When Kurogane didn't give any indication that he was going to respond, Fai took one of his hands and shook it.

"And who might you be?" he prompted amiably.

"I-it's Kurogane," he replied, wondering why the hell his heart had started pounding like that when Fai had touched him. Then he shook his head, remembering who he was. "But that's Kurogane _sama_, to you! You've got a lot of nerve, touching me like that!"

"Where I'm from, it's how we say hello," Fai explained with a smile.

"Yeah, well…dogs sniff each other's butts to say hello but that doesn't mean you should try that!" Kurogane snapped. "Besides, I'm the prince!"

"Oh, really?" Fai asked, looking only mildly surprised. "How nice."

"You cocky jerk! I could have you arrested for this, you know!" Kurogane snarled indignantly, annoyed that Fai hadn't thrown himself at his royal feet and groveled. Yet some small part of him recognized that as being just a little bit sexy.

"Arrest me for saying hello?" Fai puzzled. Then he laughed, making Kurogane blush all over again. "I've never heard of anyone doing that before, but… you sure are cute when you're angry, Kurotan!"

Kurogane was shocked by the informality of the way Fai addressed him, but when he recovered, he gritted his teeth. "It's Kurogane sama, dumb ass! And I'm not cute! You're lucky I don't punch you!"

That was when Tomoyo decided to step in, putting her hands soothingly on Kurogane's shoulders. "Calm down, Prince Kurogane," she cooed. "Fai san is just trying to be friendly. Besides, isn't it way past your bedtime?"

Kurogane's blush returned in full force. "N-no! I'm the prince! I don't have a bedtime!"

"Hmm, that's funny…" Tomoyo said slowly, a smile spreading across her lips. "I seem to remember the queen giving me permission to send you to bed if I find you wandering the halls late at night."

Kurogane's face blazed with embarrassment and he glanced over at Fai to see what his reaction to all this was. The blond was just standing there, grinning like the moron he was.

"Say night-night to your new friend, Prince Kurogane," Tomoyo said sweetly, taking the seething prince by the hand. "You can play with him tomorrow."

Kurogane was still sputtering angrily as she led him calmly from the room.

"Goodnight, Kuromin!" Fai called after him. "Let's play again tomorrow, ok?!"

"Fai kun…" Yukito said, looking a little nervous, "I don't think it's a good idea for you to tease the prince like that…"

"I was just having a little fun with him," Fai said. "I didn't mean any harm."

"I know but… I think you really embarrassed him," Yukito pointed out.

"Don't worry, Yukito san," Fujitaka interrupted. "Even though he did a pretty good job of hiding it, I think Prince Kurogane was rather taken with Fai kun. He's just not used to people treating him so casually so he didn't know how to react."

Fai looked up at Fujitaka, slightly surprised by this suggestion.

"But Fai kun…" Fujitaka turned to the little blond boy with a smile, "please try not to tease him too much. I know it might be hard to tell because he likes to act tough, but the prince is actually pretty shy and can be really sweet when he thinks no one is paying attention. So be careful with him, ok?"

Fai took a moment to process what Fujitaka had told him before a grin spread across his face. "Right!"

* * *

Kurogane dropped into bed, feeling really stupid and yet too tired to worry about it too much right now. His mother had only scolded him a little for being gone so long and he had hardly even listened to what she had said to him. But the thing that occupied most of his mind was Fai. Something about him struck him as odd; Kurogane had managed to gather from the conversations he'd heard in Fujitaka's room that Fai had been found wandering the streets, destitute and orphaned. Yet Fai seemed too graceful, too well-bred, too educated and too damn good-looking (not that Kurogane himself thought this of course, but he supposed that other people might think of Fai as being pretty) to have been born a pauper. 

As he drifted off to sleep, Kurogane couldn't help wondering when he might see the blond next. Obviously he hadn't even briefly entertained the idea that Fai might be fun to play with but the boy had caused him such humiliation tonight that Kurogane decided he now had a score that needed to be settled. That was the only reason he would ever want to see him again, honest. And his heart was only pounding as he remembered Fai's serene smile because he was looking forward to being the one who wiped it off his face when he got his revenge. And the hand that Fai had shaken was just feeling warm and tingly because, well… Kurogane wasn't exactly sure but he was highly suspicious that it was because Fai had cooties.

* * *

"Fai kun, your bed is ready," Fujitaka said softly. Fai, who had been falling asleep in the chair with his knees pulled up to his chest, forced himself to get up and wander over to the bed that had been brought in and prepared for him. 

"Thank you, Fujitaka san," Fai mumbled sleepily, crawling under the covers.

"I know you're tired, Fai kun," Fujitaka said apologetically, "but there's one question I want to ask you before you go to sleep. You don't have to give me an answer right now but you should probably give a little thought to it."

"Hmm?" the boy asked.

"What would you think about getting a job here in the palace as an entertainer? The king has been wanting to hire some people for a while now and it seems like the kind of job you'd be well-suited for. You'd be dancing mostly, but it would help if you knew how to sing or play an instrument as well."

"Mm-kay," Fai agreed lethargically. "That sounds like fun."

"Good, we'll get it settled in the morning then," Fujitaka said, sounding pleased with Fai's decision. "Good night, Fai kun."

"G'night…"

* * *

**A/N: **…I'm sure by now, everyone is tired of hearing me say what I think of my work so I'll just keep my mouth shut on that subject. 

If you found that ending to be unsatisfying, don't worry; there shall be more. This is my new mini-series endeavor. I don't know what's going on with me; before I used to avoid AU stories like the plague, refusing to read, let alone write, them. Recently, however, I seem unable to turn out anything else. I'm not sure what to think about that. Anyway, I really love your reviews, especially when they contain critiques! So review away! …Please?


	13. Vestment

**A/N: **I'm sorry if you were hoping that the next installment would be a continuation of the new miniseries but I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out what to do with that one at the moment. Don't worry, I haven't abandoned it. I'm just taking a little break.

So, a definition of "vestment", from the usual source: **vestment** /vestment/ _n._** 1**any of the official robes of clergy, choristers, etc., worn during divine service, esp. a chasuble. **2 **a garment, esp. an official or state robe.

* * *

**Vestment**

Even before they entered that cursed clothing shop, Kurogane's heart and stomach were clenched with dread. He _hated_ shopping, and clothing was quite possibly the most boring thing on earth to shop for. Well, there was that time when Tomoyo had tricked him into shopping for fabric with her; now _that_ had been two hours of sheer, unwarranted torture. Give him whipping, hard labor, screws to the eyeballs, bamboo under the fingernails… anything but fabric shopping with Tomoyo. But he didn't like to think about that. It made him feel ill just to remember it.

Kurogane had the sinking feeling, however, that this experience might be almost as bad. For one thing, it was just him and Fai on this little venture, definitely not his preferred company. Why couldn't the kid have come along instead of Fai? Kurogane was pretty sure that this shopping thing would be a lot less horrendous if he had Syaoran along instead. But Syaoran had been sleeping when they left and Fai had insisted that they let him rest. "Besides," Fai had said, "Mommy would like some time alone with Daddy." _Barf_!

Secondly, picking out clothes for himself was one thing, but this time they also had to choose something for Syaoran and Sakura and he had the sinking feeling that Fai might come across something "absolutely adorable" for Mokona that he would insist that they just had to buy. Having to pick something out for Sakura would be bad enough. What if the clerk who was ringing up their purchases thought that he was some kind of weirdo cross-dresser and was buying the dress for himself? He didn't think his manliness could take that kind of abuse.

"The clothes in this country are a lot like the ones we wore in Jade, aren't they?" Fai observed as they combed the bustling streets for a suitable clothing store.

Kurogane just grunted disinterestedly in agreement. All he wanted was to get this unpleasantness over with.

"What's wrong, Kurokuro?" Fai asked pleasantly. "Is something bothering you? You seem angry."

"I don't like shopping," the ninja grumbled sullenly.

The magician laughed and then, to Kurogane's horror, took his arm affectionately. Kurogane gritted his teeth but didn't bother trying to shake Fai off. He was pretty sure that would only make him hold on tighter.

"Silly doggie!" Fai purred, nuzzling his cheek against his companion's captive arm. "It will be fun! And Kuronpyu always looks so handsome in his new clothes!"

Kurogane could feel himself blushing slightly, so he huffed irritably and turned his head away so that Fai wouldn't see.

"Ah, how about that store, Kurorin?" Fai suggested, pointing at a clothing shop a little ways ahead of them.

Kurogane gave it a once-over and shrugged in indifference. "Whatever."

"We might even find something for Mokona!" the blond chirped excitedly.

Damn. He had been hoping that maybe Fai wouldn't think of that.

"Tch. Like they'll have anything in that manjuu's size," he snorted doubtfully.

"But look, Kuropiko; it says 'fashion for the whole family'," Fai pointed out. "I'm sure they'll have something for all of our children."

"Don't make that thing one of the kids!" Kurogane growled. "At least call it a pet!"

"Hmm? So Kurotan is finally accepting his role as daddy?" Fai asked hopefully.

"OF COURSE NOT, YOU BASTARD!!" Kurogane snarled. "QUIT BEING SO DAMN STUPID!!"

"Oh, just wait until I tell Syaoran kun and Sakura chan!" Fai sang. "They'll be so happy!"

The warrior opened his mouth to retaliate but Fai put a finger to his lips, using his other hand to pull open the door. "Hush now, Daddy. No yelling in the store or you'll get thrown out."

Kurogane bit his tongue angrily, swallowing the rest of his angry retorts.

"Wow, this store sure has a lot of stuff, huh?" the wizard marveled, taking in the vast array of colorful clothing spread out before them.

"I'm going over here, then," Kurogane said, pointing to the men's department. "And I'll tell you right now, I sure as hell am not gonna be the one to pick out the princess's clothes."

"Ok, I'll choose something for Sakura chan," Fai agreed. "You can get Syaoran kun's, then, alright?"

Kurogane grumbled a reluctant acquiescence and left Fai to his work.

* * *

Ugly. Ugly. Ugly… dammit! Why did all the clothes in this world have to be so freaking prissy?! He knew he didn't really have much grounds for complaint, to be completely honest. But most of this stuff was better suited to pretty boys like Fai than _real_ men like Kurogane. Didn't they carry anything simple and elegant and black? The ninja wasn't interested in all this high-fashion bullshit. It had even taken him a little while to find something for Syaoran, and he was pretty sure the kid wasn't as particular about what he would wear as he himself was. 

Kurogane glanced inconspicuously over the racks of clothing to see how Fai was getting along. He nearly gagged when he saw the blond holding two very girly dresses up in the air for comparison. He knew that the dress was for Sakura but if he hadn't already been aware of that, he wouldn't have put it past the mage to be looking them over for his own benefit. It only mortified him further when Fai caught him staring and shouted to him across the mostly-empty store.

"Yoo hoo! Kuropin! Which dress do you think is cuter?"

"HOW THE HELL SHOULD I KNOW?!" Kurogane snapped back, his face beet red. "I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT KIND OF CRAP!!"

The other customers looked between them curiously, wondering what in the world was going on between them.

"Aww, quit acting so shy, Daddy, and help Mommy pick out a dress for our daughter!" Fai trilled happily.

At that point, the other customers, who were still rather confused, decided that they would be happier not knowing what was going on between that pair and just did their best to tune them out.

"CUT IT OUT WITH THE 'DADDY' CRAP!!" Kurogane raged. Desperate to excuse himself from the awkward silence that ensued, he grabbed something random off the clothing rack in front of him and stomped off to the dressing room.

* * *

Fai looked up in mild surprise when Kurogane suddenly appeared at his side with his and Syaoran's new outfits draped over his arm. Judging by the frustration on Kurogane's face as he had been looking through the clothing racks, Fai had guessed that he wasn't very happy with his options and would therefore take quite a bit longer to decide. Yet here the swordsman was, standing beside him, both his assigned outfits chosen and waiting for Fai to make his decision. 

"Aren't you done yet?" Kurogane grumbled. "What the hell's taking you so long?"

"Hmm… well, Mommy wanted to be sure to pick something Daddy would like, so I have to make my decision carefully," Fai grinned.

"Tch. Why the hell should I give a shit about what you're wearing?" he sulked, though his cheeks reddened slightly at the thought.

"Are you saying you'd rather have me go naked, Kurochii?" the magician giggled.

"N-NO!! DON'T BE SUCH A DUMB ASS!!" Kurogane retorted angrily, flushing at the thought.

"No? Why so interested then?"

"I'm not; I just wanna know how long until we can get the hell out of here, that's all!"

Fai laughed quietly to himself at Kurogane's embarrassment and indignation. Then his eyes softened flirtatiously. "Alright then, why doesn't Kuropun pick out my outfit, since I can't seem to make up my mind?"

Kurogane could feel the heat in his face increasing and he scratched the back of his head nervously. "Whatever," he sighed, doing his best to seem indifferent. "If it'll get us out of here any sooner…"

Fai watched in curiosity and amusement as Kurogane pieced hurriedly through the hangers. He stopped when he came to a long light-colored overcoat. Kurogane glanced between it and the sorcerer and back again, apparently liking what he saw because he pulled it off the rack and shoved it carelessly into Fai's arms. Fai held it up for closer examination as Kurogane continued to look for something to go with it. He was surprised when the warrior handed him a white shirt and vest and some light-colored dress pants before Fai had even had adequate time to look over the coat.

"There, it took me a whole ten seconds," Kurogane growled, folding his arms. "Go try it on so we can get out of here."

The blond grinned as he noticed a slight blush creeping over Kurogane's cheeks as he said that. "Daddy pretends that he doesn't care what Mommy wears but look at him blushing! He chose these clothes with love, didn't he?"

"I did not!" Kurogane protested heatedly. "You saw me; I just grabbed whatever looked like it might fit!"

"Whatever you say, Kuropiko," Fai purred, nuzzling against his chest affectionately like a cat. "Ok, I'll try these on, then. Wait patiently, ok?"

Kurogane snorted as Fai skipped off to the dressing rooms with his new outfit.

* * *

Fai glanced over his shoulder at his reflection, checking the fit on the pants, shirt and vest. Admittedly, he was amazed; Kurogane had snatched these clothes off the racks so quickly that Fai was sure that at least one of the items would be ill-fitting but all of them were perfect. No only that, but he looked pretty damn good in them, if he did say so himself. Perhaps Kurogane wasn't as clueless about such matters as he wanted to appear. 

Fai blinked in surprise as something black and light-weight sailed over the top of the door, bounced off his head and landed on the ground. He picked it up curiously; it was a bowtie. When he saw Kurogane's shoes through the space beneath the dressing room door, he smirked.

"What's this, Kuropyon?" he asked playfully.

"What the hell does it look like, idiot?" Kurogane replied irritably. "It's a tie. Put it on."

"So Kurowanko continued to look for things for me to wear even after I had gone to try this stuff on?" Fai chirped. "He really does care!"

"Don't be a moron," his companion growled. "You just look stupid without one. Stupider than usual, I mean. And aren't you done putting the rest of that stuff on yet?"

"Would you like to come in, Kurokuro?" Fai asked.

"No! Just hurry up!"

Fai laughed to himself as he slipped the tie over his neck and began to tie it. Once he had finished, he shrugged on the overcoat and opened the door to show Kurogane the result. The blond allowed a smile of satisfaction to spread across his lips as Kurogane stared, apparently struck speechless by Fai's beauty. He did a little twirl to show off both sides of the outfit and then struck a pose.

"Like what you see, Kuronmi?" Fai asked in a seductive voice. The sound of his voice seemed to cause Kurogane to realize that he was staring because he shook his head slightly and fixed his usual unimpressed expression back on his face. Fai noticed that it looked a bit less unimpressed than usual, however.

"You're such a moron," Kurogane said quickly, as if trying to redeem himself for his moment of speechlessness. "Don't you even know how to tie a tie?"

Without waiting for Fai's answer, Kurogane draped his and Syaoran's clothes over the door of the dressing room so that he could reach out and undo Fai's somewhat messy bow.

"You wore one every freaking day back in Outo, didn't you?" Kurogane grumbled. "Don't tell me you forgot how to do it already."

Fai took advantage of Kurogane's preoccupation to watch the ninja's face as he worked. Regardless of the fact that Kurogane seemed to spend virtually no time on his appearance, he was still very handsome. Fai couldn't help but marvel at that, even though, he reminded himself, he didn't spend that much time on his own appearance either. It seemed that Kurogane was not aware that he was being studied so closely because his expression, just for that brief moment as he fixed Fai's tie, was remarkably gentle and unguarded. At least, compared to most times it was. Fai found himself disappointed when Kurogane finished and drew away.

"Thanks, Kuromyuu," Fai grinned. "You're so nice."

"Well, it looked stupid," Kurogane said lamely in his own defense.

"So now what do you think?" the blond asked cheerfully, retreating back into the dressing room to stand in front of the mirror again. Kurogane stepped in behind him, also looking over Fai's reflection.

"I'm impressed, Kurowanta," Fai admitted, straightening his overcoat. "You don't seem like the type of guy who would be so good at picking out clothes. And I thought you said you didn't know anything about it."

Kurogane shrugged. "You didn't really think I spent all that time guarding Tomoyo hime without learning a thing or two about this kind of crap, did you?"

"So the Tomoyo chan Kuropun knew liked to design clothing too, hmm?" Fai asked. Casually, he leaned back against his sturdy companion, hoping that he would be too busy being flooded by memories of home to notice. He was right; the other man didn't push him away.

"Tch. 'Liked' isn't a strong enough word," Kurogane growled, rolling his eyes. "It was a freaking obsession with her."

Fai pretended to stretch, reaching his arms behind his head and then looping them around Kurogane's neck. To his surprise, Kurogane still didn't do anything, though Fai was sure he must have noticed.

"Well, Kurochuu's experience turned out to be helpful, right?" the wizard pointed out with a lazy smile. "I think I look pretty good in this, don't you?"

"Hmph," Kurogane grunted noncommittally, stealing another quick glance at Fai's reflection before he looked determinedly away again.

"Hmm?" Fai said delightedly, turning around so that he could face Kurogane properly. "Kuromun just admitted that I looked good! Hyuu, hyuu!"

"I-I DID NOT!!" Kurogane insisted, balling his hands into fists, though his face turned red once more in contradiction to his claim. "QUIT PUTTING WORDS IN MY MOUTH, YOU BASTARD!!"

"You didn't say no!" the blond reminded him excitedly, throwing his arms around him once more. "If Kurochan says something besides no, it means yes! Hyuu! Mommy is so happy!"

His face still blazing with embarrassment and aggravation at his own carelessness, Kurogane shoved Fai off of him, threw the wallet containing the money they had received by selling their old clothes at his face, and stomped angrily out of the store, leaving Fai to pay. This had no affect whatsoever on Fai's happiness; that little 'hmph' in response to his question, combined with Kurogane's behavior the whole time they had been in the store were priceless to him. Coming from the ninja, they almost counted as an "I love you". Sighing dreamily, Fai scooped up the outfits that Kurogane had left behind and practically floated up to the cashier to make his purchases.

* * *

**A/N: **So how was that? Was it ok? I don't know. 

The way I see it, I have one of two choices for the miniseries: **1 **I stick to the original plan and make it mostly humorous and fluffy with considerably angst near the end. **2 **I scrap most of the original plan and make it humorous and fluffy with crack at the end. I'm torn. What do all of you think? **I'd like to know your opinion on this!**


	14. Quiet

**A/N: **Hmm, the votes for angst and crack in the new miniseries are pretty even. I was sure there would be more votes for crack. I was thinking maybe I'd try one ending with angst and then an alternate ending with crack. That way everyone would be happy, right? And it saves me the trouble of having to come up with so many different stories to fulfill my challenges. Yeah, I think I'll probably end up doing that. Well, while I'm working on that, have this bit of fluffy to tide you over. Douzo!

**Quiet**

Kurogane strained his ears, listening for any hint of sound. A glance at the digital clock on his nightstand revealed it to be past midnight and everyone had gone to bed at around ten. They should be asleep by now; it ought to be safe to make his rounds. Some might call the ninja paranoid for waiting a full two and a half hours to ensure that his companions were all truly asleep when he did this but Kurogane didn't want to take any chances of getting caught. That would just be way too embarrassing, especially if it was that stupid wizard who saw him. Kurogane got out of bed and slipped out of his room.

When they had first begun this journey, he hadn't really cared much about the other people who were accompanying him. His primary interest had been getting home. However, as time went by, they all slowly began to grow on him, despite his insistence to the contrary. Now he found himself unable to sleep peacefully unless he went around and checked on each of them every night before going to bed. It felt stupid to acknowledge this, but it was true. He really wasn't satisfied until he had made sure they were all in their proper places at night.

He crept down the hall towards the princess's room and eased open the door. Kurogane's heart nearly stopped when he saw that the bed was empty but then he noticed the girl's dark outline on the floor, stirring slightly. He sighed with relief and rolled his eyes. How could Sakura have rolled out of bed without even waking up? She did have a tendency to be a rather mobile sleeper but this was ridiculous. And even if Sakura had somehow managed to remain asleep when she fell, how had the manjuu, whom she was clutching tightly in her arms, done it? She had most likely fallen on top of it when she rolled off. Shaking his head in disbelief, Kurogane carefully scooped her up, placed her back in her bed and covered her up.

After he had helped her back to where she belonged, a slight smile spread across Sakura's sleeping face, as if she was subconsciously aware of what he had done for her. Kurogane really hoped that she was oblivious to it, because if she had noticed she would certainly mention it the next morning. Then Fai would tease him about what a nice daddy he was and he would have no choice but to kick the magician's ass. Not that he minded kicking Fai's ass, but he never had any shortage of reasons to do so and would rather avoid this particular one. Kurogane left the princess's room and made his way silently across the hall to Syaoran's.

Syaoran, unlike Sakura, didn't flop around like a fish out of water when he slept. But when Kurogane approached the kid's bedside, he saw that Syaoran had fallen asleep while reading a book and that it was open, facedown across his chest. The ninja plucked the book out of Syaoran's loose grip, closed it and set it on the bedside table. Then he picked it up again and examined the cover, curious as to what his adopted son-figure was reading.

He had to hold it up close to his face and squint in order to make out the title in such poor lighting but once he had managed to figure it out, he quickly set it back down, wishing he'd never looked. _Ten Ways to Please Your Princess_. Kurogane supposed on second thought that it could be full of innocent suggestions like being polite or coming to her rescue when she's in trouble, but those were not the first things that came to his mind. Besides, Syaoran already did those things so why would he feel the need to read a book telling him how to do them? Suppressing a shudder, Kurogane set the book down again and backed out of the room.

Only Fai was left to check on now. For some reason, this caused his heart to pound like it always did when he realized that this was the case. Trying to calm his throbbing heart, he slipped noiselessly into the sorcerer's room. To his relief, Fai was in his bed where he belonged and was sleeping peacefully, although Kurogane couldn't imagine how the blond could possibly be comfortable sleeping flat on his face like that. Wouldn't he be in danger of being suffocated by his pillow? Unless Fai was some kind of weird creature (possible) with an air hole on top of his head (less possible), Kurogane was sure that he must have trouble breathing properly when he lay like that. Maybe that was why Fai was such a moron: because he killed off a bunch of his brain cells every night by not being able to get enough oxygen.

His heart rate nearly doubling from its already elevated state, Kurogane inched a little closer to Fai and very carefully turned the blond's head so that his nose and mouth were unobstructed by fabric and stuffing. He held stock still then, lest the slightest sound wake Fai after this small disturbance. The mage sighed and shifted slightly but remained asleep. Kurogane echoed his sigh, relieved. Now that Fai's face wasn't buried in his pillow, Kurogane could see how perfect and beautiful it was and his hand drifted unconsciously to Fai's cheek. His fingers gently ran across the smooth, silken skin, noting its pleasant warmth.

Kurogane tried valiantly to ward of wonderings about what that skin would feel like pressed against his lips but was having very little success. His hand had strayed from Fai's face and was now tangled in his blond hair. As his fingers disturbed it, Kurogane could catch faint hints of the scent of shampoo from the magician's evening bath. Absentmindedly, Kurogane traced a loose strand down to where it fell across Fai's slightly parted lips. When he touched them, he quickly drew his hand away in horror. What the hell was he doing, touching Fai like this?! Was he _trying_ to get himself caught?! But somehow, the swordsman just couldn't pull himself away from the wizard's side. Some strange, twisted part of him wanted to stay and continue to explore Fai's delicate features a while longer.

"Are you going to kiss me, Kurochuu, or are you going to just stand there and think about doing it?" Fai asked sleepily without even opening his eyes.

Kurogane nearly had a heart attack when Fai spoke suddenly.

The magician giggled as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Goodness, Kuropin is jumpy! I didn't know that ninjas scared so easily!"

"Shut up! I wasn't expecting you to say anything, that's all!" Kurogane growled, clutching his heart. "…Were you awake the whole time?"

"No, I only woke up when I felt Kurotan start petting my hair," he grinned. "You were so sweet and gentle, I almost couldn't believe it was you for a moment!"

Kurogane opened his mouth to retaliate but no words would come. He simply couldn't come up with any logical reason why he would be touching Fai like that while the blond was asleep.

Fai smiled up at him. "I can pretend to be asleep again, if you'd like, Kuropon."

"Tch, like that's gonna help anything," Kurogane grumbled, folding his arms sullenly and looking away so that Fai wouldn't see him blushing.

When he felt Fai's warm, delicate hands on his arms, he looked back down in spite of himself. The blond's face wore a serene expression, his sapphire eyes half-closed and glimmering enchantingly in the dim light as he presented his pale pink lips hopefully. Kurogane considered him for a moment, weighing his pride against his desires. Before he could come to a decision, Fai became impatient and gave the ninja's shirt a good, hard tug, catching him by surprise and causing him to lose his balance and fall on top of Fai, pinning him to the bed. Fai didn't seem to mind this, however; he merely laughed softly as he looped his arms around Kurogane's broad shoulders.

Kurogane knew what was coming and he found himself, to his horror, completely unwilling to fight it. _But_, he told himself sternly as Fai's eyes slid closed, _I sure as hell am not gonna enjoy it_. All vestiges of rational thought vanished from Kurogane's mind when Fai pressed his lips softly against his; the only things he was aware of were the sweetness of Fai's mouth, the silken perfection of his lips and the feeling of their hearts pounding in unison like frightened birds within their chests. Eventually, though it was much too soon for Kurogane's liking, the magician began to pull away.

For some reason, which the swordsman insisted to himself was because he only wanted to remind himself of how disgusting this whole situation was so that he would never even think about trying it again, Kurogane pursued him, locking their lips together once more. He allowed Fai's tongue to shyly peer into his mouth, telling himself that he had every intention of biting it off except that it would only make Fai's ensuing whining less intelligible than usual and therefore even more annoying. His companion's lips curved into a small smile against Kurogane's and he pulled away again, slowly, teasingly.

"That was lovely, Kurochuu," Fai breathed against Kurogane's neck, touching his lips lightly a few times to the underside of the other man's chin. "If I'd known that Daddy was such a good kisser, I wouldn't have waited so long to do that."

"Hmph," Kurogane replied, doing his best to appear apathetic in spite of his soaring heart and burning cheeks which suggested otherwise. It didn't help at all when Fai pressed a few more soft kisses along his throat.

"Stay here and snuggle with me tonight?" Fai whispered as he crawled back under his covers and patted the spot beside him in invitation. Kurogane sighed in false reluctance and joined the wizard beneath the blankets, rolling his eyes as he heard Fai purring joyfully in approval. He wondered as he lie there with the sorcerer held close and happily falling asleep in his arms when he had become such a freaking pushover.

"Goodnight, Kurochan," Fai mumbled against his chest.

Kurogane didn't reply with words but instead placed another affectionate kiss on top of Fai's head. He supposed maybe Fai wasn't so horrendously annoying when he was quiet.


	15. Yearn

**A/N: **Hmm… I'm still having trouble deciding what exactly I should do with the miniseries. I mean, I did have it partially planned out, but there are still some major gaps in it and I'm not sure how I should fill them. I suppose I could just worry less about the sub-plot and try to focus mainly on the childhood romance between Kurogane and Fai but I've already laid some groundwork in the first chapter for a plot development that I have no idea what to do with. Plus I haven't been happy with the progress I've been making on that next chapter. So I decided to be lame again and pull out this thing that I've had most of the way written and sitting around for a while. This was one can of worms that Clamp pretended that they were going to open and then didn't, because they're mean, so I'm going to do it for them. So there.

**WARNING, MILD SPOILERS FOR VOLUME 13!!

* * *

**

**Yearn**

Fai glanced up at the ninja out of the corner of his eye for about the thousandth time that day. The dark-haired man stared determinedly forward, but there was a faraway look in his scarlet eyes that suggested that he wasn't as present mentally as he was physically. Figuring that Kurogane was probably too preoccupied with his thoughts to notice anyway, Fai chanced a more direct look at him, studying his expression carefully.

Behind those intense eyes, Fai could sense some kind of battle going on in Kurogane's head, a battle that the blond himself had waged more times than he could count and thus recognized instantly in his companion. Kurogane had the look of a man who was clashing with some demons from his past that he could have sworn he locked away long ago, never to be released again. Fai wondered fleetingly what kind of torment Kurogane was facing as the rest of them made their way obliviously towards the cheap hotel they were staying in that night, but quickly squashed his desire to know, reminding himself sternly that it was none of his business.

The younger two travelers and Mokona walked slightly ahead of them, Syaoran wearing an expression that was strikingly similar to his temporary father figure's. Fai couldn't help feeling just a little bit envious of Syaoran for being the one who happened to open that mysterious book back in the Lecourt Country library. He was deeply curious as to what the boy could have seen from Kurogane's past that could cause tears to stream down his face like that and Kurogane to suddenly become so withdrawn and distant.

Fai looked back at the warrior thoughtfully. The grim line of his mouth and slight furrow in his brow would not have seemed unusual to the casual observer, but to Fai, the master of masked emotions, they revealed a level of pain and loneliness that he had never seen in Kurogane before. To tell the truth, it made his heart ache to see him this way. He wanted more than anything to put his arms around Kurogane's broad shoulders, pull him close and reassure him that everything would be ok and that he was willing to listen if there was anything that he wanted to say.

Something suddenly drew Kurogane's attention back to the present and he blinked as if was just now starting to take notice of his surroundings for the first time since they had left the café. He noticed Fai staring and his frown became more pronounced. "What's your problem?" he growled. "Why the hell do you keep looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"

Fai gave him a smile that was tinged with sadness and shook his head. "No, it's nothing Kurosama."

The magician knew better than to offer Kurogane comfort. For one thing it would be an insult to the swordsman's manly pride and would embarrass him deeply, and for another thing it would be like granting Kurogane permission to ask questions about his personal life and that was something he could not allow. Talks about feelings and each other's histories were strictly off limits between the two of them. Fai knew this, but still he couldn't help but wish it weren't so.

Kurogane snorted doubtfully. "If I look in the mirror when we get to the hotel and find out there's mayonnaise on my nose or something, I'll kick your ass."

"Don't worry, Kuropun," Fai laughed. "I would never let you walk around with mayonnaise on your nose."

"Hmph," he replied dubiously before sinking back into his brooding.

* * *

The hotel they were staying in was far from luxurious. The rooms were small and sparsely furnished and smelled strangely of grandmas. Kurogane grumbled about this briefly but was basically still too preoccupied to be really bothered by it. Fai didn't especially like it either but figured that the smell had something to do with the sign they had seen in the lobby about reduced rates for senior citizens. But aside from the mild scent of old people, the rooms were otherwise clean and Fai supposed that was really all they could ask for when they were paying as little as they were.

As he stepped into the tiny, cramped shower, his mind drifted back to Kurogane and his current emotional state. He was glad that they had at least been able to afford two separate rooms so that he could finally have some time alone with the ninja. But, he reminded himself for what felt like the hundredth time, he still couldn't offer Kurogane any direct comfort. Even in the extremely unlikely event that Kurogane was willing to accept it, it would break down the wall that Fai was working so hard to keep between them (despite the fact that it seemed to be growing smaller all the time). The thought of taking Kurogane into his arms made Fai shiver with a mixture of desire and dread. No matter how much he wanted to, no matter how tempting it was, he must restrain himself.

Fai closed his eyes, washing the shampoo out of his hair. He couldn't believe that he was even having this conflict with himself. From the moment he had met Kurogane and the others at Yuuko's shop, he had firmly decided not to get involved emotionally with any of these people. This was not something he was doing just for giggles; this was a serious matter of life or death here. If he let himself become attached to them, to even one of them, they would very likely end up hurt or dead. But if he was so determined to keep them at arm's length, why did it cause him such pain to see them suffering? Fai tried to tell himself that it was a reaction that any decent human being would have to seeing someone, even if that person was a stranger, in pain, but when he was completely honest with himself, he wasn't sure that it didn't go far beyond that.

When Fai came out of the bathroom, all the lights were off and Kurogane was in the far bed, his back to the mage, blankets pulled up to his shoulders as though he was asleep. Fai glanced at the clock that sat on the nightstand between their two beds and saw that it was only eight thirty. Kurogane never went to bed this early.

The sorcerer sighed, knowing that Kurogane was doing this as a wordless warning to Fai that he was not in the mood to discuss what had gone on that day. Fai had used this cue himself with the ninja on previous occasions and, however curious Fai could tell that he was, so far Kurogane had always respected his wishes. And as someone who had taken this course of action himself so many times, Fai knew very well that Kurogane was wide awake. He could feel the relentless pain of someone who had recently had old wounds rudely and unexpectedly torn open again radiating from his side of the room and it left him frozen there in indecision. Part of him was yelling at him to screw the rules and rush to Kurogane's side, while the other half shouted with nearly the same amount of conviction that he would only be digging his own grave if he so much as approached his companion's bubble of personal space.

Before Fai's brain had even come close to making a decision, his feet began to carry him forward, around his own bed and right to the edge of Kurogane's. He stood there silently for a few more seconds before timidly sitting down. His action brought a new wave of emotion from Kurogane, though this one was a little more difficult to decipher. It seemed to be a mixture of surprise, confusion, profound anger and pain, and just a hint of something else which Fai thought could have been hopefulness but he was hesitant to identify it as such because it seemed pretty unlikely. But it was as though he was no longer in control of his own body because although he was trying to order himself to get up and walk away, his legs refused to move.

"Kurosama, I…" he paused, having absolutely no idea how he had been planning to continue this sentence. Then his lips started moving again, and words were coming out and there wasn't a damn thing he could do to stop himself. "…I know I might be out of line with this…and that you probably don't want any sympathy from me…"

Kurogane gave a small grunt of agreement.

"…But I just wanted to let you know… if you need something to hold onto, I'm right here for you…ok?"

For a long while, Kurogane said nothing and Fai wasn't sure if this was a good sign or a bad one. Eventually, he felt the need to take some kind of action so he put his hand tentatively on the warrior's shoulder. Still Kurogane gave no reaction. Fai took this to mean that Kurogane appreciated the offer but didn't plan on taking him up on it. After all, if the idea had repulsed him Fai was sure that he would have had no hesitation about jerking away from him. He couldn't honestly say that he was surprised by this reaction; he hadn't kidded himself for even a second by entertaining the idea that Kurogane would throw himself into his arms and cry hysterically while Fai comforted him. Still, it hurt a little to be refused like this.

"Well, suit yourself, Kurotan," Fai said in a deceptively light, singsong voice. "I guess I'll say goodnight, then."

The blond began to stand up but nearly jumped out of his skin when a strong hand suddenly grabbed his forearm. Fai put a hand on his chest to calm his pounding heart and gave a small sigh of relief when he saw that it was Kurogane's hand that had stopped him and not some uninvited stranger's. It took him a moment to register that this was Kurogane asking him to stay. When it finally clicked, all he could do was stare numbly at the hand closed firmly around his arm. This couldn't be happening; it must be a dream or a hallucination of some sort.

"You gonna lie down or what?" Kurogane grumbled in a strangely muffled voice as he moved over to make room for Fai.

Still hardly daring to believe that this was happening, Fai obediently took his place beside the ninja, not wanting to push his luck by hesitating too long. Once Fai was lying down next to him, Kurogane pulled the slim body close, burying his face in the wizard's chest. Fai slowly began stroking his hair, feeling a little bit awkward but, at the same time, all warm and fuzzy inside. His heart fluttered nervously in his chest, highly aware that this marked the first time that Kurogane had allowed him to comfort him. And now that it was happening, Fai found that he couldn't make himself care about the boundary he had promised himself that he would keep between the two of them.

Kurogane didn't say anything as they held each other. He didn't make a single sound or move, save for the slight rising and falling of his chest as he breathed. Fai couldn't tell if he was crying or not but knew better than to check. Judging by his complete lack of any abnormal movement it seemed unlikely, but Fai could feel a wet spot on his shirt where Kurogane's cheek was pressed against it. Though that could have just been from where his wet hair had dripped on him as he had been drying it after his shower. The mere thought of the ninja crying made Fai's heart melt, and before he was even fully aware of what he was doing the wizard was pressing a series of soft kisses to Kurogane's forehead and neck. Fai gasped as he caught himself and hurriedly pulled his lips away from Kurogane's tan skin.

"I'm sorry, Kurochuu…" he whispered. "I…I shouldn't have done that…"

There was an awkward pause before Fai pushed against Kurogane. "I think… I should go back to my own bed now…"

Fai was about to pull himself away but Kurogane's hold around his waist tightened so that the sorcerer found himself unable to go anywhere. Suddenly, he could feel Kurogane's lips working their way up the side of his neck and he froze.

"Ku…Kurosama…we…we shouldn't…" he stammered, "we can't…"

The swordsman's mouth finally reached his, engaging it passionately in a way that made Fai's heart burn and soar at the same time.

"…Since when have you cared… about following rules?" Kurogane breathed in his ear.

Fai hesitated, genuinely unsure about what course of action to take. Kurogane waited for him to make a decision and though it was clear from the way he kept touching Fai's pale skin with his lips what he wanted, he restrained himself from any more actual kissing. The blond bit his bottom lip uncertainly. His delicate fingers touched Kurogane's cheek, as if hoping to find an answer there.

His fingertips were met with moisture. Fai thought he felt his heart stop all over again. So Kurogane had been crying, then? It seemed so unlikely, so out of character, and yet… Perhaps it was from being pressed against the wet spot on Fai's shirt? Kurogane jerked away slightly when Fai touched the damp area on his cheek, as if he was embarrassed that the wizard had found it. Fai felt slightly ashamed of himself for trying to look into the matter. He knew that in spite of his rough exterior, Kurogane was actually kind of a shy person, especially when it came to his own feelings. Besides, Fai wouldn't want Kurogane to do this to him if he had found him crying. Trying to make up for his moment of thoughtlessness, Fai finally gave in to Kurogane's pressure and his own desires and kissed the ninja's lips again.

"I think you're a bad influence on me, Kuropipi," Fai muttered.

"Shut up," Kurogane grumbled, his breath hot against Fai's neck. "You're the one who started this."

He had a point there; if Fai hadn't come over here to offer Kurogane comfort, none of this would even be happening.

"You know what this means, now, don't you?" Kurogane said, bringing Fai out of his reverie.

"Hmm? What's that, Kuropyon?"

"Next time something like this happens to you…" Kurogane stopped there but Fai knew exactly what he meant and where he was headed with it. By coming to console the ninja, Fai had given Kurogane permission to do the same if he noticed some time in the future that Fai's heart was broken. Fai recoiled inwardly at the thought but didn't pull away.

"…Well, I guess we'll see, Kuromyuu," he said somberly. The blond honestly couldn't imagine Kurogane wanting to do this for him if he found out what Fai was keeping from them. Kurogane snorted dubiously but said nothing. That, he decided, was a battle best saved for another day.

* * *

**A/N: **That wasn't too much like the previous chapter, was it? I don't know. Whatever. I blame my lameness on this stupid strep-throat-type-thing that's been hassling me for the past four days. I can't write anything decent with it eating my brain like it is. Bleargh…. 


	16. Unsteady

**A/N: **Um-kay, next chappie of the miniseries is here. I hope you like it!

* * *

**Uneasy**

"Kurogane, dear? Are you alright?" the queen asked her son worriedly.

Kurogane snapped out of his stupor and looked up at her. "Huh?"

"You've been in a daze since you came in for breakfast and you haven't complained about anything for a whole five minutes," she said. "Are you sick?"

"Tch. No," the prince sneered. "I'm just… thinking about something…"

Kurogane's father, the king, lifted his eyes from his plate to study his son, looking slightly amused. "Or maybe you're thinking about some_one_, eh son?"

Kurogane started, choking on his rice, and immediately he could feel his face getting hot. Oh god, his father had hit the nail right on the head! Had someone spilled the beans about his rather embarrassing run-in with Fai last night?! But who would…? Tomoyo! It had to have been her! When he caught that little snitch…

And what if his father had been watching him out on the training grounds that morning when he had been practicing his with his sword, and had witnessed Fai sticking his head out the window to wolf-whistle (if you could call that weird sound he made "whistling") at Kurogane when he had taken off his shirt?! He's father was going to think he was some kind of freak. Would he still be able to become a warrior if they thought he was _that_ type of person? This was so, _so_ bad…!

"Wh-what would _you_ know about it?!" Kurogane managed finally.

The king threw back his head and laughed. "A father should be able to tell these things about his son! Besides, that's the very same look I used to wear when I was thinking about your mother, back before we got married! And your reaction just now completely ruined any chance you had of denying it!"

Kurogane clenched his teeth, bowing his head so that his blushing wouldn't be so obvious. Damn it, he was such a fool for answering like that! What the hell was wrong with him recently?!

"Who is she, son?" his father asked after his laughter had subsided.

The prince looked at him, totally clueless. "Who's who?"

"The girl you like, of course!" the king replied heartily. "Anyone I know? Or have the two of you been meeting in secret? Don't worry; you can tell me! I won't stop you!"

Kurogane opened his mouth but no words came. It was rather difficult to suppress his urge to sigh with relief; his dad had absolutely no idea. He had gotten all worked up over nothing.

"Oh, stop it," the queen scolded her husband playfully. "Can't you see you're embarrassing him? I'm sure whoever Kurogane has chosen to fall in love with is a very lovely girl."

The prince looked down at his plate again, thinking that at least she was right about the "lovely" part. He totally wasn't in love with Fai, of course, but if he were…

"Alright…" the king agreed somewhat reluctantly. "But if you ever need some advice on women, you come to your old man. I'll tell you what's what."

Feeling a little weirded out by that offer and not really sure how to reply, Kurogane went back to his breakfast. Not that he had anything against his dad, but the idea of going to him for tips on love just kind of put a bad taste in his mouth. Not that he needed that kind of advice anyway; he certainly wasn't in love now, nor did he have any plans to be later on.

His mother just giggled at the king's self-assuredness. "Maybe it's about time you gave our son The Talk, dear."

At those words, Kurogane suddenly lost his appetite. He knew it might be naïve of him to think that he could avoid The Talk forever, but he sure as hell planned to try. Quickly, the prince stood up from the table, mumbled "thanks for the food" and got out of the room as fast as he could without actually running. But he could still hear his parents laughing at him on his way out.

* * *

Fai hummed happily as he made his bed. It had been such a long time since he had a good night's sleep that he had almost forgotten what it felt like. And how refreshing it was not to wake up with a stiff back from sitting up against a wall or to find his face half submerged in muddy water. Not only that, but he had managed to get up just in time to catch some of the prince's morning sword practice outside his window. He giggled to himself as he recalled Kurogane's reaction to his wolf-whistle. Fai honestly didn't think he'd ever met anyone so entertaining. He wondered if perhaps his exploration of the palace today might allow them another meeting. That was when Fujitaka returned.

"I asked the king about giving you that job as an entertainer, Fai kun, and he said he'd be happy to," the man reported cheerfully. "And I brought your work clothes, though I'm afraid they might be a little big on you…"

Fai stared at him blankly, his head tilted to one side. Then he remembered the promise he had made just before falling asleep the previous night to become a royal entertainer. Fujitaka handed him his so-called work clothes and Fai looked over them curiously. Both the jacket and pants were made of a very smooth, light-weight blue fabric, possibly silk, and had gold trim. The jacket was embroidered with the shape of a phoenix on the back in gold, and had a high collar and sleeves that were close-fitting at the top and flared out at the ends. It terminated with what looked like formal coattails. The pants came with long, slender legs that puffed out at the bottom and then became narrow at the very ends to encircle the wearer's ankles.

"Tomoyo chan embroidered that design on the back of the jacket just for you, Fai kun," Fujitaka informed him. "I think it suits you very well, don't you?"

Fai nodded, speechless. Had Tomoyo somehow known that his symbol had always been the phoenix back home? He couldn't imagine how she could, but she could have chosen anything, any bird, to adorn the back of his jacket. How had she decided on the phoenix?

"Is something wrong?" Fujitaka asked, looking concerned.

Fai shook himself out of his daze and smiled quickly. "No, I was just thinking that Tomoyo chan really is amazing."

Fujitaka returned his smile. "Yes, our Tomoyo chan is a true prodigy."

Fai nodded and traced the phoenix design absent-mindedly with his finger.

"By the way, you're wanted in the practice hall as soon as you're ready so they can train you," Fujitaka told him.

"Hmm, I'm a little nervous," Fai admitted with an apologetic smile. "I hope they don't ask me to do anything too difficult."

"I'm sure you'll be fine, Fai kun," his guardian reassured him. "You're already so graceful; you should have no problem learning the routine. Now, why don't you go change into your work clothes and I'll take you to the practice hall. Everyone is very excited to meet you."

Fai took a deep breath, trying to calm himself as Fujitaka ushered him over to the bathroom to change. Suddenly, the image of Kurogane's flustered shouting face appeared in his mind, bringing a slight smile to Fai's lips. He hoped he got to see the prince on his way to the practice hall. If simply thinking about him had such a soothing effect on Fai's nerves, he was sure that seeing him would work even better.

* * *

The blond plucked at his new clothes as Fujitaka led him toward the practice hall, feeling slightly uncomfortable in them. Actually, he would have been just fine with wearing them if there was no one else around. But the thought of people watching him dance in this outfit made him feel kind of awkward and self-conscious.

The clothes were close-fitting, hugging his body and accentuating everything. Mostly, it was the pants that bothered him; they were extremely low-riding, sitting well beneath his navel. The fabric was flexible enough that he was pretty sure he didn't need to worry about them ripping, but if they slipped down any further… The jacket became rather narrow at his waist, the center-line parting a bit below his ribcage to show off his bellybutton. To tell the truth, his outfit was so open and lightweight that Fai felt a little bit chilly in them, though he supposed it could have something to do with nerves.

He was jerked out of his musings when Fujitaka stopped suddenly at a nearby door and knocked loudly. "Come in!" a young female voice called. Fujitaka pushed open the heavy, polished red door to reveal a spacious, high-ceilinged room with strong Asian-style décor. A waterfall cascaded down one wall into a pretty stream full of koi and various potted plants stood along the perimeter of the practice hall. The place was lit by paper lanterns which cast their warm glow over everything, giving the room a permanent evening feel.

Fai had to take these things in rather quickly because as soon as his fellow performers laid eyes on him, they swarmed around him like bees on a melting popsicle, chattering excitedly. They were all girls, he realized. Most of them were pretty young, some around his own age, though he didn't see any that looked a day older than twenty. Not that he had any problem with that, of course. Girls were so sweet and refreshing, qualities he would surely by grateful for in this strenuous line of work.

"Wow, he's gorgeous!" one girl gushed excitedly.

"Look at that blond hair! Is he a foreigner?" squealed another

"We've never had a boy performing with us before! I can't wait to see him in action!"

"What a great build! He'll fit in just perfect!"

"I call the first dance with him!"

"Take it easy on him, girls!" Fujitaka chided lightly, still smiling. "You don't want to scare him away, do you?" He looked down at Fai and ruffled his hair in a distinctly fatherly manner. "I wish I could stay and watch your first practice session, Fai kun, but I've got some work to do. Good luck, do your best. I'll leave him in your capable hands then, ladies. Try not to work him too hard."

The girls nodded agreeably as the advisor closed the door. As soon as he had gone, they all pounced on Fai again, knocking the little blond right off his feet, squealing with glee.

"What's your name?"

"How old are you?"

"How long have you been at the palace?"

"So many questions!" Fai laughed amiably, enjoying all the attention. "Let's see… My name is Fai, I'm eleven years old and this will be my first full day at the palace."

"Wow," one of the younger girls marveled, "you haven't even been here for a whole day and they're already putting you to work, huh? That's rough!"

"Oh, I don't mind it!" Fai assured them all cheerfully. "Even though I haven't been here that long yet, I already know I'm going to love it! Everyone is so nice! And I want to be friends with all of you, too. Why don't you tell me your names, alright?"

"My name is Sakura!"

"I'm Himawari!"

"I'm Sumomo!"

"Nakuru!"

"Suzuran!"

"Chii!"

"Rika!"

"Chiharu!"

"Wow, there sure are a lot of you," Fai remarked. "I hope I can learn all of your names quickly."

Nakuru nodded eagerly as she threw her arms around his shoulders in a sisterly embrace. Fai was a bit surprised by this sudden display of affection, especially when she began tracing his cheeks and ears lightly with her fingertip, apparently enthralled by the softness of his skin.

"So, Fai kun," Suzuran said with a grin, "Tomoyo chan came in this morning and told us that you've already had an encounter with the Savage Dog. Tell us all about it."

"Yeah, what happened?" Rika asked eagerly. "Tomoyo chan says that he actually liked you!"

"Savage Dog…?" Fai repeated questioningly. "I'm afraid I don't know who you're talking about."

"We meant Prince Kurogane!" all the girls answered at once (Kurogane, who was all the way on the other side of the palace, sneezed when his name was mentioned).

"Oh, Kurosama," Fai said, nodding, a smile spreading across his face at the memory of last night's encounter. "Yes, we met."

"Isn't he scary?" Sumomo cried, clutching her skirt instinctively.

"I think Prince Kurogane is cute," Himawari and Nakuru disagreed.

"Tomoyo chan said that his face was bright red the whole time he was in the room with you!" Suzuran recalled. "Maybe he has a crush on you, Fai kun!" (Kurogane sneezed again.)

"I don't think so," Fai said, though the very idea caused his grin to widen even further. "I think he was just nervous because I caught him hiding under the bed. He probably didn't want anyone to know he was there, so I think he was pretty surprised when I called him out."

"Why was he hiding under the bed?" Chiharu asked with a slight frown. "Was he in trouble or something?"

"Hmm… I'm not sure," Fai admitted, playing thoughtfully with a strand of his golden hair. "I guess I didn't really think about that last night."

"I'll bet he saw you coming into the castle and thought you were beautiful so he decided to follow you!" Sakura suggested.

"That's what I would do!" Nakuru chimed, nuzzling her cheek lovingly against Fai's hair.

"But Prince Kurogane has never shown any interest in any of us at all," Rika pointed out.

Suzuran giggled mischievously. "I guess that means our suspicions are confirmed, after all, huh, Nakuru chan, Himawari chan?"

"Mm? What suspicion would that be?" Fai asked.

The three girls beamed at each other. "Prince Kurogane swings the _other_ way!" they sang in unison (Kurogane sneezed a third time and rubbed his nose irritably, thinking that he'd better not have caught a cold or else he was going to be pissed. Not that that was an uncommon emotion for him, but that was beside the point).

Fai giggled. The rest of the girls had mixed reactions to that claim; Sakura and Chii traded confused looks, Sumomo laughed and began a chorus of "he swings the other way! The other way!", and Rika and Chiharu's faces turned a bit red as they exchanged a quick glance and then looked determinedly at the floor.

"You know what this means, don't you?!" Suzuran asked excitedly, her hands clenching into determined fists.

"The kingdom is doomed?" Chiharu guessed.

"Someday we might have two kings rather than a king and a queen?" Nakuru volunteered.

"Panties?" Chii asked, still looking confused.

"We'll have to put our theory to the test!" Suzuran announced.

"How are we gonna do that?" Sumomo asked.

"I don't get it…" Sakura squeaked, mostly to herself.

"Once Fai kun learns the routine, we'll have to pay Prince Kurogane a visit and give him a surprise private show! Then all we have to do is watch him and see what he does when he lays eyes on our lovely Fai kun and we'll be able to tell!" Suzuran explained.

"But how can we get Prince Kurogane to watch our show?" Chii asked. "Prince Kurogane says that dancing is boring to watch."

"Tomoyo chan can arrange it for us," Himawari said brightly. "Prince Kurogane can never say no to her."

"What do you think, Fai kun?" Suzuran asked anxiously. "Will you do it?"

Fai looked around at their hopeful faces. He did want to see Kurogane again, and admittedly the idea of the prince having a crush on him made him feel all warm and bubbly inside. Plus, if he somehow managed to get Kurogane wrapped around his finger it would surely prove to be quite useful for his purposes…

Fai grinned. "Sound like fun to me!"

The girls cheered and jumped to their feet, all of them itching to get started on training Fai as soon as possible.

* * *

"Prince Kurogane!" Tomoyo called, poking her head into Kurogane's huge room.

The prince looked up at her from his studies, annoyed. "What do you want? I'm busy."

She smiled and let herself in, looking much too pleased about something. Immediately, Kurogane was suspicious.

"I just thought you might like to know that Fai kun managed to get a job in the palace," she said.

Kurogane blinked, momentarily speechless. "He…HE WHAT?!!"

"Oh yes, he's officially part of the royal entertainer staff now," Tomoyo chirped. "And just wait until you see him in his work uniform! He looks absolutely stunning! Ah, but you don't like to watch dancing, do you?"

"Don't tell me what I don't like!" he snapped. "I can decide that for myself!"

"Really? So you _do_ want to see Fai kun in action?" she asked sweetly, tilting her head to one side.

Kurogane quickly realized that he had carelessly revealed his feelings again and tried to redeem himself. "Tch. Quit giving me that damn grin; it's not like that! I just want to be there to laugh at that idiot when he falls on his face!"

"Will you watch his first performance, then? He invited you and me for a private sneak preview," she said.

"…He did?" Kurogane asked, slightly surprised.

"Mm hmm, what do you say? Will you come, Prince Kurogane?"

He hesitated, his pride and his desire having an intense battle in his head. Finally, he said "Fine, whatever. I don't really care."

"Fai kun will be so glad to hear that!" Tomoyo giggled excitedly. "He said he'll be ready by eight o'clock tomorrow night. Don't forget, ok?"

Kurogane snorted; as if he'd forget something like that. Only because he wanted to see Fai make a fool of himself, of course. And he would never dream of trying to picture what Fai's lithe body would look like in one of those entertainer outfits.

* * *

"Ok…" Fai said slowly, nodding his head. "I think I've got it now."

"Alright!" Suzuran replied, looking impressed with how quickly he was able to get the act down. "Why don't you get in line with the rest of the row and try it from the top while I watch, then, ok?"

"But I'm confused…" Sakura said. "If we're doing a private show for Prince Kurogane to see if he watches Fai san, then why are we having Fai san stand in the back row? Shouldn't we put him in the front?"

"Silly girl," Nakuru scolded jokingly, tapping her on the nose. "If we put Fai kun in front, of course Prince Kurogane will watch him; anyone would! He stands out from the rest of us, see? But if we put him in the back, then he has no excuse to pay any special attention to him."

"Ah…I see!" Sakura trilled. "That was a pretty smart idea, Suzuran san!"

"Thanks," Suzuran beamed. "Now is everybody ready? I'm gonna start the music!"

As the song began, Fai listened closely, watching the two girls on either side of him out of the corners of his eyes while he waited for the cue. Once he started to move, he kept his eyes shut tight, concentrating as hard as he could on remembering the motions. The only time he opened them was when he forgot a move, though he usually managed to remember once his fellow dancers began to do it. Before he knew it, the song was over, and he was grinning as he struck the final pose.

"Great job, Fai kun!" all of them cheered. "That was almost perfect! You're a natural!"

"Now," said Himawari, clapping her hands together, "why don't you try it without closing your eyes so tightly? They're such a pretty color, Fai kun; it seems a shame to hide them."

Fai laughed and rubbed at the back of his head nervously as he took up his starting position again. When he imagined Kurogane watching again he smiled to himself slightly, wondering if the prince would be impressed. Fai decided to do everything in his power to see that he was.

* * *

Thanks to Tomoyo's little interruption, Kurogane found it almost impossible to concentrate on anything for the remainder of that day and well into the next. He found himself glancing up at the clock constantly, or drumming his fingers, or pacing. What in the world was he so anxious for, anyway? It wasn't like Fai had meant anything by inviting to watch this stupid thing; the prince knew perfectly well that the other boy was just trying to mess with his head. A few of those entertainer girls liked to give him crap, too, from time to time. They probably wanted him to come so they could make stupid jokes about him like they always did. Besides, he had never liked to watch dancing anyway. So why did it seem like he was almost looking forward to the performance? His obvious agitation became the talk of the dinner table again that night.

"Kurogane, don't gulp your food down like that, dear! You'll give yourself a stomach ache!" his mother warned. "Is something else bothering you now?"

"Oh, I get it!" his father interrupted before Kurogane could get a word in edgewise. "You must have a date set up for tonight with your mysterious little girlfriend! Is that it, son?"

"No!" Kurogane snapped through a mouthful of food. "And don't start that again!"

"Such a temper!" the king remarked amusedly, scratching his chin as his son glared at him. "Maybe something went wrong between you two and that's why you're so eager to get out of here, eh? Because you're still worked up over your little lovers' quarrel?"

"I said stop it!" Kurogane demanded.

"You should have come to me sooner, son! I know just the thing to get you back on her good side!"

Kurogane, quirked an eyebrow at him, curious in spite of himself. His father allowed himself smirk, pleased with himself for capturing his boy's attention, before elaborating.

"Just take her into your arms, hold her nice and close, then whisper in her ear 'I'm sorry for what I did. I really do love you.' And then, while she's still trying to decide whether she wants to believe you or not, kiss her neck a few times, really softly, whispering 'I love you' after each one. If she doesn't pull away, that's your cue that it's ok to start making your way up to her lips and give her a nice, big, wet smooch. Works every time. And if you're skilled at it like your old man used to be, you might even get lucky afterwards, if you know what I mean!"

There was a heavy silence in the air as Kurogane's head reeled. It wouldn't have been as bad if only his father hadn't added that last bit about 'getting lucky', which Kurogane understood far to well from some of the steamier comics in his manga magazine. Suddenly, the young boy's mind had been bombarded by two equally disturbing mental images. The first was of himself using those moves on Fai, and the second was of his father using them on his mother. Kurogane's chopsticks slid out of his numb fingers to clatter loudly on the polished tabletop. For a moment, he seriously wondered if it was possible to cause your children permanent paralysis and foaming at the mouth by inflicting these kinds of images on them.

"Oh no, I think you may have killed our son, darling," the queen giggled shyly. Apparently she was remembering some encounter with the king's reconciliation method from their younger days.

"Maybe he's frozen," his father said, pretending to be clueless. "The only thing that might thaw him out is a great big hug from his mom and pop!"

The two of them, laughing like idiots, reached out to embrace him from either side. Kurogane came to with an irrepressible shudder and hurriedly slipped out of his chair, darting out from under the table before they could get him. Even once he got back to his room and tried to distract himself by reading one of his manga magazines, the prince could still feel his skin crawling.

* * *

Kurogane thought he felt his heart skip a beat when he looked up at the clock and saw that the show was due to start in an hour. He began to put down his magazine, then paused. Of course he didn't want to show up early; then that stupid blond would probably think that he actually wanted to be there (pfft! Him, wanting to be there? As if!). But he had nearly been driven to insanity waiting for this since Tomoyo had told him that it was going to happen and if he had to wait one more second, he might just pop. That's how eager he was to see Fai…make a fool of himself when he messed up the routine.

Grinding his teeth, he looked around for something, _anything_, that could distract him for just a little while longer. He could change his clothes, but someone from the troop might have seen him earlier in the day and would notice that he was wearing something different. Knowing those girls, they wouldn't keep something like that to themselves; it would have to be broadcasted to the whole freaking palace. The same would go for putting on cologne. It wasn't his style so naturally it would stand out. Plus, it was weird for eleven-year-olds to wear cologne, no matter who they were. Eventually, he decided that he might be safe if he just brushed his teeth.

He wondered irritably as he squeezed some paste onto his toothbrush why in the hell he suddenly felt this incessant need to groom himself for something stupid like this, but the thought was pushed aside as he eyed a comb sitting out on the bathroom counter. Would it be too much to comb his hair? They might think it was weird; it was a well-known fact around the palace that Kurogane wasn't interested in boring things like primping.

Then boy glared at his reflection as something occurred to him: he was the prince, dammit, and if he felt like combing his hair then he could comb his hair. Stupid peasants should not have any power over what their future ruler felt like doing to his appearance. And if he felt like taking a bath right now, none of them could do a damn thing to stop him! In fact, he would do it just show them how little their petty opinions mattered to him. Emboldened by his own severe badass-ness, Kurogane rinsed his mouth and called a servant to fill the tub with hot water. He would show up smelling nice _and_ looking good. That would show them!

* * *

"Fai kun! Finish up your bath or you're going to be late for your own performance!" Fujitaka called through the bathroom door. "You wouldn't want to make Prince Kurogane wait, would you?!"

"Almost finished, Fujitaka san!" Fai replied.

He was starting to feel nervous again. Even though he had managed to perfect the routine early in afternoon, he couldn't shake the feeling that something would go wrong somehow. These little spells of nervousness had attacked him at various points throughout the day and although he did a fairly good job of hiding the extent of his fear from his fellow performers, they had kept him from being able to eat much of anything that whole day. His stomach was too knotted with worry.

It wasn't so much the thought of the performance that scared him, although that certainly contributed to it. Mostly, it was the thought that he might not achieve his ultimate goal, a goal on whom the very life of another person depended on. _That_ person's life… if it was lost because of Fai's insufficiencies, he didn't think he'd be able to live with himself. It was Fai's fault that that person was even in this dire situation; if he had just been able to do what had needed to be done in the first place, things would still be ok. And the more Fai thought about it, the more he realized that making Kurogane fall for him was the quickest way to fix what had happened. He had to get this performance right; he had to impress the prince.

The blond boy took a deep breath to help steady himself as he left the bathroom, said goodbye to Fujitaka, slipped on his shoes and scurried off down the corridor to the practice hall.

* * *

It wasn't until he was already standing outside the polished red door to the practice room that Kurogane started to seriously regret having bathed, brushed his teeth and combed his hair before coming. The feeling was triggered when he got close enough to be able to hear what was going on inside; the performer girls seemed to be rushing around making last minute preparations, chatting and giggling all the while. Kurogane sighed in frustration with himself; he had gone overboard in his effort to impress Fai and now it was pretty much too late to fix that.

He wondered for about the thousandth time why he was so desperate look good just for that stupid blond boy. He supposed it would make him seem all the more intimidating when Fai screwed up his dance and made a fool of himself. The prince scratched the back of his head awkwardly, thinking that maybe he could roll around on the ground a bit in order to grunge down his appearance a little and hopefully make his efforts less obvious.

Just as he was about to get down on the floor, the sound of bare feet running on tile met his ears. Kurogane looked around for the source of the noise. Fai was racing down the corridor toward the practice hall, still trying to do up the top button of his jacket. When he reached Kurogane's side, he stopped, slightly out of breath, his face a bit colored from running. Still, he somehow managed a grin that nearly made Kurogane's heart skip a beat. The young prince hurriedly crossed his arms and looked away as he felt his own face start to redden.

"Kurorin came," Fai panted, looking relieved.

"Tch! You've got a lot of nerve to address your prince so informally! It's Kurogane sama to you! And don't get the wrong idea, idiot," Kurogane growled, still not looking at him. "I'm just here to see you screw up and look like a moron."

Kurogane glanced at the other boy out of the corner of his eye to see him leaning against the wall, as if for support, swaying slightly and covering his eyes with his hand. He was struck by a pang of worry and reached out reflexively to offer his help. Then he noticed what Fai was wearing and froze, his face instantly turning scarlet. What the hell was up with that outfit?! The pants were so low that he could see the delicate contours of Fai's pelvic bone sticking out far above the waistline. His stomach was rather exposed, too.

"That's ok," Fai said eventually, regaining his smile, apparently oblivious to Kurogane's shock. "I'm still glad Kuropii is here."

Kurogane was so surprised by that answer that he didn't even scold Fai for the nickname and completely forgot about Fai's apparent dizzy spell. The blond's smile widened as he reached over to take Kurogane by the hand and pushed open the door, leading him inside.

Everyone stopped to watch them as they entered together, and Tomoyo, Suzuran, Himawari and Nakuru all burst out in a fit of delighted giggles when they noticed the two of them holding hands.

"No wonder they're a little late!" Nakuru squealed, clasping her hands joyfully. "They went on a secret date beforehand!"

Kurogane's blush returned in full force and he hurriedly shook his hand loose from Fai's. "Shut up! This dumbass just grabbed my hand suddenly! We sure as hell weren't on a date!"

"Oh, saving that for afterwards, then?" Tomoyo asked innocently.

"No!" Kurogane snapped. "There's no date!"

"Oh really?" Fai asked with a mischievous smile. "Then how come Kuromin put so much work into getting ready before the show, hmm?"

"I…I dunno what you're talking about!" the prince insisted unconvincingly.

"Kurochii smells good, like soap and mint toothpaste," the blond said, leaning in closer for a sniff. "Plus his hair looks extra soft, like he washed and even combed it a little. I'm so touched that Kurowanko would do all this for me!"

"I didn't do it for you!" the prince argued, his face still bright red. "I…my mom made me! And I told you to cut it out with the damn nicknames!"

"You two can continue your little love fight after the performance," Suzuran interrupted. "I'd like to get this show on the road."

Fuming, Kurogane allowed himself to be led by a still giggling Tomoyo over to one of the large red and gold seating cushions. He flopped down on one of them and watched sullenly as the performers rushed to their places. Fai was stationed in the back row. This caused Kurogane a strange pang, a mixture of disappointment and relief. Suzuran started the music and hurried to take her spot amongst the others. As soon as the music began to play, the performers sprang into action as though someone had suddenly pushed some giant magical on-switch.

Tomoyo was clearly liked what she saw; she was nodding her head in time with the music, a big smile on her face. Admittedly, Kurogane could see why she was impressed. All their movements were so smooth and graceful and fluid. And Fai looked absolutely stunning. _No! _the prince scolded himself sternly. _Don't look at him! _Reluctantly, he tore his eyes away from the blond and forced himself to watch the others. He was sure that if the rest of them noticed him staring at Fai like that, he'd never hear the end of it.

When Fai looked in Kurogane's direction, he felt a little jolt of disappointment to see that the prince wasn't watching him. Fai shook his head, telling himself not to get so worked up over it, but he couldn't help but continue to stare at Kurogane, willing him to look his way. Minutes passed, but the other boy didn't give him so much as a glance. Fai's heart clenched with desperation; Kurogane needed to watch him! He needed to fall for him! If he didn't, then _that_ person might…

Fai felt faint, overcome by a mixture of disappointment, frustration, worry and overexertion on an empty stomach. He had been too nervous that day to eat much of anything and now it was taking its toll. Fai twirled in time with the rest of the performers but that pushed him over the edge, causing his dizziness to get the better of him and he fell forward against Sakura. The younger girl let out a little squeak of surprise and hurriedly turned around to help steady him.

Kurogane started when he noticed Fai falling and nearly jumped to his feet to grab him but he remembered himself at the last second and stayed put. The other performers immediately stopped to check on their fallen comrade, rushing to his side. Kurogane realized grimly as he watched the scene unfolding before him that this was exactly what he had told everyone, including himself, that he had come to see. It had really happened; Fai had more or less fallen flat on his face. Why didn't it feel as good to witness as he thought it would?

"Fai kun! What happened?!"

"Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine," Fai assured them with an apologetic grin, waving aside their worries. "I just lost my balance during that twirl, that's all. No need to worry…"

Kurogane, who had seen Fai being bothered by dizziness before they had even entered the room, folded his arms crossly and glowered at the blond. "You liar. You were dizzy back in the hallway, too. If something's wrong then just say it."

All of them stared at the prince in astonishment after this accusation. Kurogane felt heat rising in his face but managed to keep it under control, his glare fixed stubbornly on Fai as he waited for him to come clean.

Eventually, it was Sakura who finally broke the tension. "P-Prince Kurogane's right, Fai san… If something is wrong, then please tell us so that we can help you."

Fai looked awkward and a bit lost. "I…" His attempt at speech was interrupted when his stomach growled loudly, startling everyone. Kurogane clicked his tongue in exasperation as he got to his feet.

"Hmm, guess maybe I should have eaten something before I came, huh?" he laughed, looking slightly uncomfortable. He yelped in surprise when Kurogane stomped over and unexpectedly plucked him from the circle of girls. "Ku-Kurosama?!"

"Obviously if you're too much of a moron to take care of yourself, then someone else is gonna have to get involved," he growled. "Since everyone else is just sitting around and looking stupid, looks like it'll have to be me."

With that, he threw Fai over his shoulder and took him from the room without another word.

"I can walk by myself, Kuropun!" Fai insisted. "You don't have to carry me!"

Kurogane snorted derisively. "Are you honestly this much of a dumbass or are you just trying to piss me off? You just collapsed from hunger. I'm not letting you walk on your own, so just shut the hell up."

Fai lapsed into an uneasy silence, resigning himself to being carried.

"You still smell nice, Kuropyon," he said after a while, hoping to get a rise out of his companion and make things return to being at least partially normal.

Fai couldn't see Kurogane's face from where he was but he did notice with satisfaction that at least his ears were turning red.

"Shut up or I'll drop you!" he snapped.

* * *

Kurogane, for lack of a better alternative, took Fai to his room where he had some servants bring food for them. The prince had already eaten supper, but he felt awkward just sitting there and watching Fai eat. Having his own food didn't stop his eyes from being drawn irresistibly to the blond boy. He noticed Fai's hand shaking uncontrollably as he lifted a bite of food to his mouth. Fai was uncharacteristically silent while he ate, a distant look in his eyes that suggested that his mind was a thousand miles away.

"So what's your problem? How come you didn't eat earlier?" Kurogane said finally, jerking Fai out of his trance.

Fai shrugged easily. "I guess I just didn't have time with trying to get everything right for the performance."

Kurogane saw through that lie immediately. "You're lying again. I didn't see anyone else back there falling over."

Fai laughed nervously. "Hyuu, Kuromin catches me every time! You're amazing, Ouji-wanko!"

"Don't try to change the subject," Kurogane said sternly, fixing Fai with his scarlet gaze. "Just answer the question."

The blond's smile faded noticeably, though it didn't go away. He hesitated for a moment, seemingly trying to decide what answer would be best. "…I wanted the show to be perfect so that Kurokuro would be impressed. I suppose being all nervous like that made my tummy feel a little bit sick so I didn't feel like eating."

Kurogane stared. He wasn't sure what answer he had been expecting but that wasn't it. Why did Fai care if he was impressed?

"But I just ended up causing trouble for you…" Fai continued quietly. "I'm sorry, Kurotan."

Kurogane didn't know how to reply to that so he busied himself with his food and said nothing. Fai, apparently wanting to dispel the silence, looked around the room in wonder as he took another bite from his own plate.

"So this is Kurochan's room, huh? Not bad."

The prince blushed slightly but tried to shrug it off. "It's nothing special."

"And look at all your toys!" the other boy marveled. "I bet you never get bored, do you, Kuronta?"

"You can have some if you want," Kurogane said dismissively. "I dunno why my parents keep buying me this crap; I'm too old for toys."

"Silly Kuromun! You're never too old for toys," Fai grinned. Then his grin faded to be replaced with a nostalgic look. "But I guess it's true that you never really appreciate what you have until it's gone."

Kurogane frowned at him, getting the distinct feeling that Fai was speaking from experience. The blond cleared his plate not bothering to elaborate further, his eyes becoming distant once more. Once he was done, Fai hitched his smile back in place and got to his feet.

"Well, thanks for the food, Kurorinta," he said. "I'm sorry about the performance…"

"Hold on," the prince growled. "You didn't think I was just gonna let you have that food for nothing, did you?"

Fai stared, his mouth open slightly as he searched for some reply though nothing came.

"Try again," Kurogane ordered, folding his arms behind his head and leaning his back against the wall.

"Huh?" Fai asked, thoroughly confused.

"You said the reason you didn't eat before was because you wanted the performance to be perfect," Kurogane reminded him. "It didn't turn out the first time, so try again."

"You… you want me to dance?" the boy asked, his eyes round with shock. "Now? By myself?"

"I can have one of the servants go get the music from the practice hall," Kurogane said.

Fai blinked at him in surprise a few more times, then a smile spread across his face. "Hmm, alright then."

Kurogane called for a servant and sent them to retrieve the enchanted music box that the entertainers had been using earlier. When the servant returned, the blond boy took the music box and set it on the dresser, opening the lid to start the song. This time, the prince allowed his focus to settle on him, no longer inhibited by the possibility of the girls teasing him for doing so. Fai danced, and even Kurogane had to admit, though only to himself, that maybe he didn't completely hate it.

* * *

**A/N: **Humm… I kind of feel like nothing really happened in that chapter… I don't know though; what do you think? 


	17. Officious

**A/N: **Looks like I might be on a roll here with these things. Well, at least the ideas are there; I'm not sure about the quality.

Anyway, I'm still trying to figure out some things about the miniseries so I'll save the next chapter of that for when I have more time to devote to it (I'm supposed to be reading out of _Madame Bovary_ right now, but I can't stand that story. That stupid woman pisses me off). I'll define "officious" for you according to the usual source and then I guess we'll get this show on the road.

**Officious** /efishes/ _adj. _**1** domineering **2** intrusive in offering help, etc. **3 **_Diplomacy_ informal; unofficial.

* * *

**Officious**

Kurogane impatiently pushed aside his wet bangs as the official Dragonfly recovery squad lowered a ladder down to him. He ignored it for a moment, his gaze flicking skyward to watch the princess's car speeding off into the distance. Shougo and Nokoru were still tailing her faithfully, ready to intervene if the worst should happen. Kurogane sighed and told himself that they would protect her but he couldn't scrape together the kind of confidence he had been hoping for. After all, they hadn't done anything when Sakura was almost hit by that geyser just now. Realizing that worrying would get him nowhere, Kurogane tore his watchful eyes from the horizon and finally accepted the ladder that was being offered to him

He took hold of the bottom rung and hoisted himself up, using his other hand to grab one of the rungs above him. Kurogane immediately regretted doing that as a jolt of pain shot through his second hand and he withdrew it instinctively from the bar to examine it. Now that it was out of the water, he could see a faint crimson stain creeping up through the cloth of his glove and it was growing steadily darker before his eyes. Kurogane clicked his tongue in annoyance and began to struggle up the ladder one-handed.

He could sense the danger that awaited him above long before he could actually see it. Even though he knew what he would see once he reached the top, it didn't stop him from snarling at the unwelcome sight when his eyes fell on it. There, crouched down to meet him at the top of the ladder with several obscenely fluffy towels in hand, was a certain blond someone. He was grinning and offering his hand to help pull him up into the car. And oh, how Kurogane longed to kick him.

"How heroic of Daddy to sacrifice himself like that for his daughter!" Fai sighed dreamily. "You're so cool, Kurotan!"

Kurogane snorted and ignored Fai's outstretched hand, partially because he didn't want any help from that moron and partially because the only hand that was free to accept that help was his injured one. But Fai didn't look the least bit perturbed by Kurogane's refusal. He simply stood up, waited for Kurogane to climb into the car with him and draped one of those ridiculous towels around the ninja's shoulders once he managed to get in.

Repulsed by the towel's offensive fluffiness, Kurogane gave it a look of disgust, just to let it know that he wasn't the least bit happy about having to use it, then began to dry his hair and face. Fai used his other towel and began to assist his companion, though Kurogane noticed with mild surprise that the magician was leaving his injured hand alone. Then he realized that he was allowing Fai to rub him down and quickly pulled away, giving him a dirty look. Fai just smiled back.

"Shall we see the doctor, then?" he asked pleasantly.

Kurogane heaved a sigh. "What a hassle."

"I thought you might say that," Fai replied smoothly. "I guess Mommy will just have to do his best to fix Daddy up himself."

"Huh?" Kurogane growled.

Fai took him by the arm and calmly led him towards the infirmary.

"Hey, where do you think you're taking me?" the swordsman demanded.

"I asked Tomoyo chan to give us a private room in the infirmary where we could watch the rest of the race," the blond answered, a hint of mischief in his voice that put Kurogane on edge.

"I'll take the doctor," Kurogane said dryly, trying to pull his arm out of Fai's grip. Fai just held on tighter.

"Too late!" he chirped. "Kuropun already said no to the doctor!"

Before Kurogane could say anything else, Fai tugged him into an empty side room and shut the door behind them. It seemed to be a doctor's office; there were several posters of different systems of the body and others that warned patients about the symptoms of common heath problems, a long cushioned table covered by a thin sheet of paper, a scale and a wall occupied by a counter and a row of cabinets. Fai pushed him down onto the cushioned table then turned to the row of cabinets.

"Do you even know what you're doing, you bastard?" Kurogane grumbled as Fai opened one of the cabinets and began pulling things out of it.

"Of course," the magician smiled. "I would do it if I didn't know how. Why, are you worried, Kuronta?"

"Who wouldn't be, with a moron like you working on them?!" Kurogane snapped.

Fai laughed, gathering several items into his arms and bringing them over to where the ninja was sitting.

"Let me see," he requested, holding out his hand for Kurogane's.

Kurogane huffed and turned his head in refusal.

"Aw, don't be like that, Daddy!" Fai pouted. "If you don't get it treated, it might get infected and then where would you be? How can you expect to use a sword properly with your hand all rotting and falling off?"

"Hmph! It's not going to rot and fall off just because of a little scratch like this!" he snarled, but granted the wizard access to his hand anyway.

Fai didn't answer, he just began to slowly and carefully remove Kurogane's glove.

"Hyuu…" he marveled as he examined the wound. "That looks like it hurts."

"I've had worse," Kurogane grunted truthfully with a shrug, though he had to admit that the gash was longer and deeper than he had expected. Fai unscrewed the lid of some unidentified clear liquid and poured a little onto a cotton swab. As soon as he touched the cotton ball to the wound, it began to sting.

"Tch!" Kurogane sharply drew his hand away.

"I'm sorry, Kurochan," Fai said earnestly, giving him a small pitying smile. "I need to put this on to help it heal. Please don't pull away, alright?"

Kurogane slowly returned his hand to Fai's. He had been expecting Fai to tease him about a ninja being bothered by that kind of trivial pain, not apologize for having to put the stuff on him. The warrior gritted his teeth against the sting as Fai continued to gently clean the wound. Once he had finished that, Fai took out a tube of some sort of cream and squeezed a small amount onto his finger.

"What's that stuff for?" Kurogane asked. "I thought you already sterilized it."

"This will keep it sterilized and help it to heal faster with a smaller scar," Fai answered knowledgably.

Kurogane tensed as Fai's slender finger neared his wound to apply the cream. He needn't have worried; Fai dabbed on the medicine so softly that Kurogane was hardly even able to feel it. The blond smiled up at him reassuringly as if to say _"See, I won't hurt you."_ It felt stupid for him to acknowledge it, but that smile made Kurogane feel calmer. But only a little; let's not get carried away here.

Fai picked up a roll of bandages and began to skillfully dress the wound. The ninja watched him silently as he worked, wondering how Fai had come to be so good at treating injuries. He remembered the assuredness that Fai had fought with back in Hanshin and couldn't help but wonder if perhaps the blond really had been a warrior back in his own world. Fai was certainly quick and clever enough, and he had more than held his own back on the battlefield of Yamano. But somehow it didn't seem to fit with Fai's apparent preference for avoiding conflict.

"Almost done!" Fai sang, interrupting Kurogane's musings. Kurogane glanced at him curiously; the look in those sapphire eyes suggested that Fai had cut off his wonderings on purpose. The warrior sighed, once again annoyed by his companion's evasiveness. He lowered his eyes to his bandaged hand and frowned. Fai was still holding it, stroking it soothingly.

"You already bandaged it," Kurogane pointed out. "What else is there?"

"One last thing," the magician promised.

He gave Kurogane another smile, but this one was different than the ones he had received so far since they had reached the infirmary; the warm affection from before was still present, but now there was a slight undercurrent of mischief running along with it. Kurogane wondered whether that should worry him. Before he was able to make a decision, Fai leaned forward and kissed the bandages.

"Ok, now I'm done," he grinned.

"Wh-what the hell was that?!" Kurogane stammered, hurriedly pulling his hand away as he blushed.

"That's what mommies are supposed to do, right?" Fai asked amusedly. "Kiss the ouchies better?"

"I'M NOT A FREAKING CHILD!!" the ninja spat.

"I know that, Kurochuu," Fai laughed, completely unaffected by the other's rage, as usual. "But who says that mommies can't do it for daddies, too?"

"I'M NOT A DADDY EITHER!!" Kurogane snapped. Fai just flicked on the large-screen TV that was mounted in the wall so that they could watch the end of the race. Both of them breathed a little sigh of relief when they saw Sakura's vehicle speeding across the screen. The princess was still in the running. After a moment of slightly awkward silence (well, at least Kurogane found it awkward) between the two older travelers, Fai spoke.

"How does your hand feel now, Kurowanko?"

Kurogane hesitated. "…Hn," was what his mouth and brain said, but his heart said _"better."

* * *

_

**A/N: **Argh, that was a cheesy ending! But it was the only thing that seemed to fit, so… I tried to make it more amusing but that didn't work either T-T aksdfjoanga!!1 That's all I have to say about that.


	18. Whim

**A/N: **I finally figured out where I'm going with this miniseries! Hurray! Right now, it looks like there will be four more chapters, not including this one. Just a few quick notes for this chapter:

If you've read Tsubasa in its original Japanese, you notice that the name Fai gives Kurogane in Outo is "Ookii Wanko" which translates to "Big Doggy". Since Kurogane is a prince in this story, I changed it to "Ouji Wanko" which translates to "Prince Doggy". Nice how that worked out, isn't it?

In most western countries that I know of, black is the color of death and misfortune. However, in Japan and some other eastern countries the color of death and misfortune is white.

**THIS SERIES, STARTING NOW, WILL CONTAIN NUMEROUS SPOILERS FOR BOOK 17 AND UP!! THE NEXT COMMENT ALSO CONTAINS A SPOILER FOR THAT SECTION!!**

In light of a recent post at the KuroFai livejournal community, I thought I should let you know that the Fai we are watching in this series is the magician that we know and love from TRC. I hope that clears up any confusion on that matter.

* * *

**Whim**

"My Lord!" Kyle gasped, bursting into the throne room. "My Lord! I ha-have news of…!"

"The king isn't here," Xing Huo said stonily. "He's in the bathroom, and everyone's been given strict orders not to bother him."

Kyle stared at her for a moment, bewildered and catching his breath, before shaking his head quickly and flashed a debonair smile. The effect was somewhat ruined by the fact that he was completely out of breath, several droplets of sweat snaking down his face from his dark hairline and the little man-bow that held his ponytail in place was on the verge of slipping off. "He…he will want to hear my… report."

Xing Huo shrugged. "It's your funeral." She gestured with a jerk of her thumb toward the royal bathroom where the king had barricaded himself. Kyle raced to the door and threw it open impatiently without bothering to knock.

"My Lord! I…!"

"Dammit, Kyle!" the king, Fei Wong Reed, snapped at his servant's reflection in the mirror, clapping his hand to a little cut he had made on his cheek with his straight razor. "My sideburns are uneven now! I thought I forbade anyone from bothering me!"

"S-sorry my Lord," Kyle panted, clutching his chest as he tried to catch his breath. "But I ha-have some news…that I think… you might be interested in!"

"Out with it, then!" Fei Wong ordered impatiently, snatching and tissue and dabbing at his bleeding cut.

"I've located the boy!" Kyle blurted.

Fei Wong whipped around to face the other man, his expression unreadable.

"Are you sure it's him?" the king asked. "Four years can change a person, especially someone so young."

"Positive, sir," the servant nodded eagerly. "There was no mistaking him."

"Where did you see him?"

"I saw him being led into the royal palace of Suwa."

Fei Wong stroked his butt-shaped chin thoughtfully. "…What about the other one? We can't afford to go after one of them without knowing the whereabouts of the other."

"I'm still investigating, sir," Kyle admitted. "But we've been watching the first for a few days now and the two don't seem to have made contact at all. I'm beginning to suspect that he may have already been taken care of for us."

"I see…" Fei Wong said slowly. Then at last, he grinned. "Good work, Kyle."

The king headed for the door, the Kleenex he had used to dab at his cut stuck to his cheek, forgotten.

"Um, my Lord…" Kyle interrupted.

Fei Wong stopped and turned to face him again. Kyle looked at him meaningfully. The king rolled his eyes and reached into his vest pocket to pull out a cookie, which he dropped impatiently into his servant's waiting hand. Kyle snatched it and scurried over to the corner to devour it greedily. He loved his job.

* * *

Fai pushed open his window to welcome the brilliant rays of the morning sun. He tilted his face towards it, basking in its warmth, smiling as a cool breeze ruffled his golden hair. A sudden shout and a loud swishing sound jerked him out of his reverie. Fai looked down at the grounds and spotted Kurogane on the practice field, standing in the middle of a circle of demolished wooden posts. The blond grinned when Kurogane glanced up over his shoulder casually and apparently just then happened to notice Fai watching him.

"Good morning, Kurowanko!" Fai called, waving vigorously at him. "Playing with your sword again? How cute!"

"Che! I'M NOT CUTE!!" the prince roared, though he could feel his cheeks getting hot again for some stupid reason. "AND I'M NOT PLAYING, YOU BASTARD!! I'M TRAINING!! NOW GO AWAY!! YOU'RE BEING A PAIN IN THE ASS AGAIN!!"

"Aww, but I wanted to watch Kurosama practice!" Fai pouted. "He just looks so cool when he takes apart those practice posts that he makes my heart flutter!"

Kurogane turned his back to him, pretending to ignore him, though Fai could tell by his lack of shouting that he was flattered by the compliments.

"Wow, and did you just take out all those posts just now with one swing?!" Fai continued, acting as though he had just noticed the circle of destruction around the young swordsman. "Hyuu! Kurorin is so strong! Is it ok if I come down and watch you practice? I want to see you in action!"

"Whatever," Kurogane huffed indifferently. "I guess I could use someone to bring me water or something."

"Yay!" the blond cheered. "Just a minute then, I'll get you some water, ok?!"

Kurogane shook his head slightly in exasperation as the other boy disappeared from the window, though he couldn't help thinking that it might be nice to have such an enthusiastic audience while he practiced.

"Ok, here goes!"

Kurogane looked up at the window again, his mind not comprehending at first what was about to happen when he saw Fai climbing onto the windowsill, all four corners of a bed sheet clutched in one hand and a glass of water in the other. Then suddenly it clicked and he felt his stomach lurch in horror as he realized that Fai was planning to do. He knew that it was unlikely for someone to die by falling from that height, but there was a high risk of serious injury.

"YOU MORON!! YOU'RE ON THE SECOND FREAKING FLOOR!!" Kurogane shouted. Fai wasn't listening; he had already jumped.

The next few seconds seemed to happen almost in slow motion. Fai was sailing through the air, briefly propelled outwards from the window by his jump, a grin of pure enjoyment on his pale face, the sun catching his blond hair stunningly. He held the sheet up over his head, apparently intending to use it as a parachute. If Kurogane hadn't immediately dropped his sword and been running at a full-out sprint in a desperate attempt to catch him, he might have noticed how distinctly angelic Fai looked.

The sheet puffed up as it caught the air and for a moment it seemed as though it might actually carry Fai down to safety. His fall was definitely slowed for a moment before one of the corners slipped out of his fingers. That kind of ruined the whole parachute effect and Fai resumed his plummet toward the ground. By this time, Kurogane was beneath him, his arms outstretched to receive him.

When the corner of his makeshift parachute escaped his grasp, Fai's other hand jerked, causing him to tip the glass he was holding. As a result, Kurogane was not only catching an armload of scrawny blond boy but also a face full of water. Needless to say, the prince would not be pleased when he regained the use of his brain. The force of Fai's fall knocked him down on his butt when they collided. Kurogane shook the water out of his face and blinked numbly a few times, clutching Fai safely to his chest. Fai pulled away so that they could look at each other, both in shock over how the turn of events had played out. Fai was the first to speak.

"Hyuu… nice catch, Kuropon!"

When Kurogane was done being relieved that he had somehow managed to catch Fai and that neither of them were seriously hurt, his face contorted into a snarl and he shoved the other boy off of his lap roughly. "YOU STUPID BASTARD!!" he raged. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING, JUMPING OUT THE DAMN WINDOW LIKE THAT?!! THERE WAS NO WAY THAT SHEET THING WOULD HAVE WORKED!!"

Fai just smiled at him serenely. "Well, I knew that if my parachute didn't work, Kuropyon would come to my rescue. And I was right, wasn't I, to have faith in you?"

Kurogane stared at him in disbelief, his mouth hanging open slightly as he tried valiantly to think up a proper response. Fai took advantage of his preoccupation to crawl back into the prince's lap and cuddle against his chest again.

"…Kuromin was really worried about me," he said softly, looping his arms around Kurogane's shoulders. "I didn't know you cared so much… It really makes me happy."

Kurogane's face was turning red again, but he couldn't bring himself to push Fai away. To buy himself some time he spoke.

"If I'd missed you, you could have been hurt pretty bad… You could've been paralyzed or something. Don't you even care?"

"Hmm…" Fai said distantly, as though he seriously had to think about the question. "There's still something I have to do… so I guess it would have been a problem if I was paralyzed…"

"Tch! Well, no shit!" Kurogane snapped.

"You're right, that was careless of me…" Fai admitted quietly, hugging Kurogane a little tighter. "Forgive me, Kuromyuu?"

"…Whatever," Kurogane mumbled eventually, his face burning even brighter. He made a strangled little noise of surprise when Fai suddenly pushed him down on his back and lie down on top of him.

"Thank you…" Fai breathed, nuzzling his cheek against him affectionately. The blond closed his eyes, noting curiously the way his heart was pounding. What was this feeling?

The two of them remained like that for a bit, basking in the sun and each other's presence. Finally, Kurogane, afraid of what Fai would say if he allowed this for too long, sat up again. "What the hell are we lying here for?" he grumbled. "This is why I told you to go away; I knew you'd interrupt my training."

"Mm? Kuronta was expecting me to give him snuggles?" Fai asked playfully, still not letting go of the other boy.

"Of course not! But I knew you'd be an idiot, like always!" Kurogane retorted.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay like this just a little bit longer, Kurorun?" he giggled. "Oujiwanko seemed to be enjoying our little moment just now."

"What do _you_ know, dumbass?!" Kurogane snarled, shoving him off again. "And get the hell off of me!"

"Well, your heart was beating so fast and…" Fai paused, moving so that he could see the prince's face, which was stubbornly turned away from him. "Are you blushing, Kuropipi?"

"N-No! Why the hell would I be?!" Kurogane stammered. He cursed himself as he felt his cheeks glowing even more brightly. "And get the hell away from me! You've got a lot of nerve to be so damn casual with your prince!"

"I knew it! Kurokuro _is_ blushing!" the blond sang gleefully. "And he's getting all shy about it now! How adorable!"

"YOU WANT ME TO RUN YOU THROUGH WITH MY SWORD?!!" Kurogane threatened, jumping to his feet so that Fai couldn't sit on him anymore. Apparently, Fai was more determined to hang on than he had estimated because he didn't fall off; he merely slid down and attached himself to the prince's leg instead. That move proved to be fatal to Kurogane's dignity; he was wearing a belt, but it was no match for the iron grip of Fai. When Fai slid down, the young swordsman's pants came with it, much to Kurogane's horror and Fai's delight.

"Tee hee! I can see Kurorinta's undies!" the blond giggled joyfully. "Undies!"

"G-GET THE HELL OFF OF ME, YOU DAMN PERV!!" Kurogane spat, his face a most stunning shade of crimson. Frantically, he kicked Fai off and pulled his pants back up. Then he turned back to the other boy with a murderous gleam in his eyes.

"Kyaa! Somebody help!" Fai squealed with laughter, taking off running as Kurogane swung his sword at him. "The Savage Doggy is attacking! Kyaaa!"

Kurogane was kind of glad that Fai was managing to stay ahead of him; even though he threatened to gore the blond with his blade, he honestly wasn't sure what he would do to Fai if he caught him. Something told him that whatever he would end up doing would be far less violent than he wanted to admit.

The chase eventually brought them into the royal garden. This fact was not particularly noteworthy to Kurogane; he wasn't interested in girly things like flowers. Fai, however, stopped dead in his tracks and Kurogane stopped too, pretending to look at them so that he wouldn't have to do anything to Fai now that he had caught up. He chanced a sidelong glance at the blond. His deep blue eyes were wide with wonder, sparkling in the morning light as he took in the huge quantity and variety of blooms. Fai's enrapture with something as ordinary as flowers was somehow adorable, though of course Kurogane would never admit this.

"Hyuu!" Fai breathed, turning in a slow circle so that he could view at the ones behind him, too. "There are so many flowers…!"

"What's so great about 'em?" Kurogane asked, doing his best to sound thoroughly unimpressed.

Fai looked at him, beaming. "They're beautiful! Don't you ever stop to appreciate beautiful things, Kuropiko?"

The prince blushed slightly, turning away from him as he shrugged. He was relieved when Fai didn't pursue the matter, allowing him to escape without answering the question. Normally, no, Kurogane didn't care about beautiful things, but recently he had come across one such thing that he was able to appreciate. Maybe. Not really.

Fai knelt down before a cluster of lilies and reached out to touch them carefully. Kurogane noticed that his smile had become small and sad. Wondering how in the world seeing a lily could make Fai sad, Kurogane crouched down next to him to examine the flower more closely. Maybe he had missed something? It looked like a regular pink lily to him.

"This type of flower…" Fai said faintly, the smile frozen on his lips, "…it used to be her favorite…"

Kurogane was so startled by that statement that he nearly lost his balance. "Her"?! Who was this "her" that Fai spoke of?! Did the blond have some so-far-unmentioned love interest back wherever it was that he came from?! The prince was outraged, though he couldn't imagine why. But this rage was different than what he was so used to; this kind hurt. He put a hand absentmindedly to his chest, as if trying to touch the wound that had just been dealt to his heart.

"W-whose…?" Kurogane managed, trying not to sound too indignant.

Fai was silent for a moment, his head lowered so that his bangs hid his eyes from view. "My mother's…" he replied.

Kurogane, in a momentary loss of control, actually breathed a sigh of relief. Horrified, he clapped a hand over his mouth, but it was too late: Fai had heard it and his head jerked up so that he could meet the prince's eyes, looking slightly amused.

"What was that sigh for, Kurowanta?" he asked, grinning. "Were you afraid I had a girlfriend or something?"

"Why would I care about that?!" Kurogane demanded, folding his arms stubbornly, though his flushed face gave him away. "Don't be such a moron!"

"How cute!" Fai gushed, reaching up to stroke the prince's blushing cheek with his fingertips. "Kurochan was really jealous!"

"I was not!" Kurogane spat. "And don't touch me!"

"Don't worry, Kurochuu," Fai assured him. "I'll never let myself be taken by anyone but you."

"Hmph!" Kurogane huffed, wondering why the hell hearing Fai say this should have eased the temporary pain in his heart the way it did.

The blond stood up and stretched his arms above his head. "Well, if that's the way Daddy feels, why don't we go out on a little date, hmm?"

"Idiot! Why the hell would I want to go on a date with _you_!" the other boy growled.

"It doesn't have to be anything fancy," Fai said easily. "We can just go walk around town. It'll be fun. What do you say, Kuropin?"

Kuropin said "no way in hell", but somehow he still found himself being led from the garden by Fai with a disturbingly low amount of resistance on his own part.

* * *

"Wow, so many bodyguards!" Fai commented, sounding slightly disappointed in spite of his smile.

"Yeah well, when you're a prince, there's no such thing as 'just walking around town'," Kurogane grumbled, looking even unhappier about them than Fai did. "You've got to bring the whole freaking army along."

"I used to sneak out all the time," Fai said. "If they don't know you're gone, they can't really send anyone along with you, can they?"

"Well, you don't know my father!" the prince snapped. "Nothing gets past him! And anyway," he narrowed his eyes at his companion suspiciously, "what would a pathetic street rat like you know about being a prince?!"

"Nothing," Fai said quickly, grinning in an attempt to appease him. "I was just saying…"

"Tch! Then keep your stupid comments to yourself," Kurogane groused.

"This isn't very romantic…" the blond pouted.

"It's not supposed to be!" the other boy sputtered. "This _isn't_ a date!"

"…Do you think they would stop me if I tried to hold your hand?" Fai asked, looking curiously up at the stony-faced bodyguards surrounding them.

"How should I know?" Kurogane huffed.

Fai gave them one more cautious look, before slipping his hand into Kurogane's. The bodyguards did nothing. Fai was happy. Kurogane was not. Maybe.

* * *

Kyle arrived on the outskirts of Suwa's royal city, looking rather windswept. That was probably because he had just arrived there via the fancy-pantsy new teleportation power that Fei Wong had granted him as a reward for locating the boy. Kyle straightened his glasses, redid his ponytail and set off toward the palace to resume surveillance on his target. He whistled cheerfully as he went, a slight spring in his step. Fei Wong had promised him a whole jar of cookies if he managed to find out any definite information about the second boy they were looking for. Kyle's mouth was already watering.

As he entered the city's bustling business district, Kyle noticed a knot of men dressed in black, all of them armed with swords. The only people who walked around town with protection like that were royals. Kyle tried to get a glimpse of their charge and when he saw who the boys were he froze in shock. The men were guarding the prince, and right there beside him, hand in hand with him in fact, was the very child Kyle had been sent to watch. With that boy out in the open like this, he would be far easier to pick off than it would be if he were in the palace.

But there was still the matter of all those damned bodyguards. Kyle fancied himself rather skilled with a dagger but he knew he had no chance of emerging victorious from a battle with all those highly-trained professionals. The dark-haired man cursed under his breath, his hopes of bringing the boy's dead body back to Fei Wong that very day now dashed. Perhaps if he waited patiently, following at a safe distance, a chance to strike might present itself. Kyle slunk back into the shadows and continued to watch the boys closely.

He had to admit, if he were the same age as those two, he would probably find the prince quite attractive. How had a dirty little waif like that boy managed to get so intimate with him so quickly? At least, they seemed intimate; they were holding hands and the prince was allowing him to nuzzle his cheek against his shoulder. Despite knowing that it was wrong to think such things when those two were only children, Kyle couldn't help wondering if the blond boy had "scored" yet.

* * *

"Look, Kuropopo!" Fai trilled, pointing across the street. "A pet store! Let's go see the animals! Please?"

Kurogane sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, if it'll make this stupid date thing end any faster."

"Hyuu! You're so nice to me, Kurotan!" he cheered.

"Shut up," the prince growled, giving him a little shove.

Since the pet shop was too small to accommodate all the bodyguards, only two of them accompanied the boys inside while the others stood outside the door. Fai pushed the door open eagerly, causing a little bell overhead to chime, announcing their entry. The shop wasn't very large but it had a decent selection and the animals all seemed happy and well-cared for. Fai looked almost as happy here as he had in the garden. Kurogane almost smiled as he watched the other boy rub noses with a golden retriever pup and laugh as it licked his face through the bars of its cage.

"Welcome to our store!" A young girl with extremely long pink hair and lively brown eyes appeared out of the back room to greet her customers. When her eyes fell on Kurogane and his two towering bodyguards, she gasped and blushed.

"Y-your majesty!" she squeaked bowing so hurriedly that she smacked her head on the counter. She laughed sheepishly and rubbed the red spot on her forehead gingerly. Kurogane snorted and rolled his eyes again. "What an unexpected surprise! P-please, take as long as you like!"

"Excuse me, miss!" Fai called from the back corner of the shop. "Would it be alright if I held this kitty?"

"Oh, sure!" the girl said, coming out from behind the counter to help Fai open the cage.

"Don't bother," Kurogane warned, following the shop girl with his bodyguards close behind him. "It'll probably bite you."

"I'll be fine," Fai assured him with a warm smile. "But it's nice of you to worry about me."

"Tch! I wasn't worried!" Kurogane protested weakly.

The girl opened the cage, carefully scooped the kitten out and transferred it to Fai's arms. Kurogane peered over the blond's shoulder for a closer look. The cat was pretty small, probably not more than six inches in height. It was white and fluffy with bright blue eyes that matched Fai's and a pinkish-orange spot in the center of its forehead. Fai cuddled it happily and scratched it behind the ears so that it purred loudly.

"Is this kitty a boy or a girl?" Fai asked the employee.

"Umm…a girl, I think," she replied uncertainly.

"Does she have a name?" The kitten crawled up onto Fai's shoulder and began to bat at his hair playfully.

"Not yet," the girl admitted. "Why don't you name her? She really seems to like you!"

"Shouldn't the person who buys it be the one to name it?" Kurogane pointed out.

Fai looked at him in mild surprise. "But we _are_ buying her!"

"Hah?! When did I agree to that?!" Kurogane demanded.

"You were just about to," Fai grinned.

"Tch!" He wanted to say "like hell I was" but when he saw the way Fai was smiling at him, his lips refused to form the words. "What's so great about this one, anyway? White's the color of death and unluckiness, you know."

When Fai didn't respond, Kurogane glanced over at him. His head was bowed again so that he couldn't make out the blond's expression. Kurogane's heart pounded, wondering if he had said something wrong. Then Fai looked up at him, this time wearing a smile unlike any Kurogane had ever seen on him before. It was dark and bitter.

"I guess she's perfect for me, then, isn't she?" he said quietly.

The prince shivered, fairly certain that he didn't want to know what Fai meant by that. Even his bodyguards seemed unnerved for they had moved closer to him when Fai said that. He quickly changed the subject. "Well, who's paying? You don't have any money, right?"

"Kuropipi's family is loaded! He'll buy her for me!" Fai sang, his smile going back to normal. Kurogane was relieved, thinking that he never wanted to see him smile like that ever again. Then he soaked in what the other boy had just said.

"_You_ can't decide that!" he snapped.

"She'll be a present in remembrance of our first date!"

Kurogane opened his mouth to retaliate, but then noticed how happy the two of them looked together. The kitten was joyfully licking Fai's fingers and Fai kissed the top of her head. The prince sighed and angrily dug three gold coins out of his pocket. There went his whole freaking week's worth of allowance.

"Why the hell do you get to order me around like this?" he complained under his breath as he shoved them into the shop girl's hand.. "I'm the _prince_, dammit!"

The girl looked stunned. "Your majesty! This is way too much!"

"Well, you can't just buy the cat, right?!" he snapped, blushing under Fai's astonished gaze. "It needs food and litter and crap, too! _I_ shouldn't have to tell you that! _You're_ the one who works here!"

"R-right!" the girl stammered, vanishing hurriedly behind one of the shelves to retrieve the other things that they would be needing.

"…Thank you so much, Kurochan," Fai breathed, looking slightly tearful in response to such kindness.

Kurogane was surprised; he had expected the other boy to tease him for being such a pushover. "Hey. You better not cry," he warned, folding his arms and looking away, his face reddening further.

Fai swallowed hard. "I-I won't."

"Your majesty! Everything's ready!" the girl called from the front of the shop.

Kurogane told her curtly to keep the change and had his bodyguards carry the bags. He may have stooped low enough to let Fai talk him into buying him something but carrying bags would be going much too far. The blond still seemed preoccupied as they left the shop so Kurogane tried to cheer him up.

"So? You gonna name that thing or what?" he asked.

"Ah, yes," Fai said, perking up as he looked down at the kitten in his arms. "I was thinking about calling her Mokona. What do you think?"

"Tch. Sounds like some type of manjuu," the prince said. "But that thing kind of looks like a white manjuu so I guess it fits."

Fai laughed and turned his new pet towards Kurogane. "Say hello to your new daddy, Mokona chan!"

"I'm not that thing's daddy!" Kurogane snapped. "Anyway, what would that make _you_, then?!"

"I'm the mommy, of course," Fai trilled. "Because mommies and daddies love each other, just like we do!"

Kurogane blushed again. "You're such an idiot," he mumbled.

Fai noted with a warm fluttering sensation in his chest that Kurogane didn't refute his claim that they were in love. He switched Mokona to his other arm so that he could take the prince's hand again as they made their way back to the palace.

* * *

**A/N: **I think I might actually be relatively happy with the way this chapter turned out. Shocking, I know. If you thought it was a little heavy on the fluff, it's to make up for the angst that will come in the last chapters. Sorry if you don't like angst! I promise my next miniseries will be crackier and lighthearted! 


	19. Teamwork

**A/N: **Whee! Next chapter of the miniseries! I'm quite a bit happier with how this one is turning out compared to my last miniseries. I don't really have anything to say about this chapter except that I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

**Teamwork**

Kyle lowered his binoculars and winced as his stomach growled loudly. He had been sitting in this damn tree for four freaking hours, watching the prince and his target flirt and make lovey-dovey faces at each other but now he had officially had enough. It had been slightly cute for a little while but now it was just exasperating. If those two liked each other so much, then they ought to just kiss already! Kyle thought about shouting it at them but that would kind of ruin the secret agent aspect of his mission. He didn't want that; playing secret agent made him feel cool.

The other boy he was supposed to be looking for didn't seem like he'd be making an appearance any time soon and that realization was driving him crazy. He wanted that jar of cookies he'd been promised, dammit! Kyle rubbed his chin thoughtfully. What would be the harm, really, in only pretending to have found out the information he had been sent to gather? The chances were pretty good that the other kid really had died already. After all, what kind of person would go hang out at the palace and get all chummy with the prince and leave their brother to duke it out on the streets? Well, Kyle would, but only if there were cookies at stake. Anyway, that was beside the point. Kyle tucked his binoculars into his cloak and teleported away, feeling rather pleased with himself for having thought up such a clever plan.

* * *

"I'm back!" Fai sang, throwing open the door to the practice hall.

"Yay! It's Fai kun!" Rika shouted. All of the entertainers rushed over to him eagerly.

"Where were you today, Fai kun?" Nakuru pouted.

"We came to Fujitaka san's living quarters to ask you about last night and you weren't there," Chiharu said.

"Yes, yes! Tell us all about what happened last night when Prince Kurogane carried you out of here!" Himawari urged excitedly.

"I could tell that he was really worried about you," Sakura said with a smile. "I've never seen Prince Kurogane treat anyone like that before. It was really sweet!"

"I'll get to that in a minute," Fai assured them, grinning. "First, I'd like you all to meet Mokona!"

He revealed the tiny white kitten he had been hiding in his arms. All the girls squealed with delight as he set her on the ground to let her explore.

"A kitty!" Chii cheered, reaching out to stroke her.

"Where did you get her?" Suzuran asked.

Fai paused, looking around at them all, his eyes sparkling as he withheld his answer for a moment just to keep them in suspense. "Kurosama and I went out on our first date today and he bought her for me as a present!"

This earned another squeal of delight from them, even more emphatic than the first. Fai couldn't help laughing at their reaction.

"A date with Prince Kurogane!" Sumomo chirped, clapping her hands. "A date! A date!"

"I guess that proves our theory, huh girls?" Suzuran said triumphantly. "Prince Kurogane swings…"

"The other way!" Himawari and Nakuru chimed in joyfully.

"I'm so happy for you, Fai san!" Sakura gushed.

"So the other night must've been a success then, right?" Himawari said.

"I guess so, huh?" Fai smiled.

"We want to hear the whole story!" Suzuran requested excitedly.

"Yeah! Spill, Fai kun!" Nakuru demanded, pulling him into her arms and nuzzling him affectionately. "And don't leave anything out! We want all the juicy details!"

Chiharu and Rika looked at each other and blushed, looking like they'd rather not hear anything too juicy. Chii was too interested in Mokona to really care; the kitten was very interested in her dangling hairpiece. Glad to have such an eager audience, Fai began to detail the events of the previous night and his date with Kurogane.

* * *

"Ah, there you are, Kurogane, dear," the queen said as her son returned. "Did you have fun with your friend?"

Kurogane blushed slightly but shrugged, doing his best to look nonchalant. "I wouldn't call that moron a friend, but I guess it wasn't that bad."

"Wow, that's the highest praise I've ever heard you give an experience with anyone, aside from Tomoyo chan!" his mother noted, smiling serenely. "This not-exactly-friend of yours must really be something!"

The prince snorted. "Yeah, right."

"Oh, really?" the queen giggled, pulling her son into her arms and pinching his cheek lightly. "Then I wonder what you could possibly be blushing about!"

"I'm not!" he insisted, trying to brush her off. "Cut it out, mom!"

"You are! Your face is all red!" she laughed, holding him tighter. "By the way, did you get me anything for my birthday while you were out today? It's only two days away, you know."

Kurogane stopped struggling, his stomach lurching suddenly. His mother's birthday was only two days away! How could he have completely forgotten?! But he couldn't let her know that he'd forgotten, otherwise she would tease him that he had been too busy being all gaga over Fai to remember something so important.

"What would be the point in me buying you something?" he asked sullenly. "If you want something, you can easily afford it yourself anytime you felt like it."

"Hmm? So you're going to ignore your poor mother's birthday, then?" she pouted jokingly.

"Quit acting like it's such a big deal to you!" Kurogane snapped. "You're the one who refuses to tell anyone else that it's your birthday because you don't want them to have a huge celebration for you!"

"You're the same way," the queen reminded him. "Your father, too. But you'd both be so crushed if the rest of the family ignored your birthday."

"Anyway," the prince interrupted, "I was gonna make something, so…"

"Kurogane is going to _make_ something?" his mother asked in surprise. "How unexpected! Especially since you don't know how to cook or anything like that! You always refused to learn, saying you didn't have time for such girly things!"

"Hmph! I could do it if I felt like it!" he huffed. "How hard can it be?"

"I guess we'll just wait and see, then, hmm?" the queen said, smiling.

* * *

Fai awoke later than usual the next morning. He would have gotten up earlier but he had been having the sweetest dream about him and the prince running and playing in a huge field of flowers that looked curiously similar to the royal garden. Plus, Mokona felt so nice, curled up warmly next to his cheek that he didn't feel like opening his eyes. Then he remembered that Kurogane always had sword practice outside his window in the mornings so he sat up, stretched and went to the window.

To his great disappointment, Kurogane wasn't there. The blond scanned the practice field carefully for him but when he realized that it really was empty he flopped back down on his bed, feeling rather disheartened. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Fai glanced over at Fujitaka's bed to see if he was still there but the bed was empty, already neatly made up. He must have gone to work already. Fai straightened his pajama shirt and answered the door.

"Oh, Fai kun! I'm sorry to call on you so early; I hope I didn't wake you!" It was Tomoyo. She smiled up at him and Fai couldn't help being cheered up slightly by the sight of her.

"Good morning, Tomoyo chan," he said with a grin. "I was already up, so don't worry about it. What can I do for you?"

"It's about Prince Kurogane…" She broke off, her smile becoming a bit hopeless.

"Is something wrong?" Fai asked, worry rising in his chest immediately.

"Well, I don't know if I'd say that something was wrong, but… he's in a bit of a fix and I think he would appreciate your help, even if he refuses to come here and ask for it," Tomoyo explained.

Fai sighed with relief, his smile returning. "Of course, I'd be happy to help Kurosama! Just hang on; I'm going to get dressed quick, ok?"

He invited her in and hurried to his closet, pulling down the outfit that Tomoyo had made for him on his first night at the palace and disappeared into the bathroom to change. As soon as he was finished, he rejoined her and she began to lead him toward the prince's room, explaining the situation in a hushed voice as they went.

"You see, tomorrow is Prince Kurogane's mother's birthday," she began.

"The queen's birthday?" Fai repeated, surprised. He figured that the queen's birthday would mean a big to-do throughout the kingdom; probably some sort of festival, or at least a work holiday. That was how it had worked back where he had come from.

"Shh!" Tomoyo hissed, putting a finger to her lips. "It's a secret! No one in the royal family wants the rest of the kingdom to make a big deal out of their birthdays so they refuse to tell anyone when they are, except for their closest friends."

"I see…" Fai said slowly.

"Prince Kurogane figured that since his mother can have anything she wants, it would be pointless to buy her something, so he decided to make something for her instead," Tomoyo continued.

"Oh, how cute!" Fai giggled.

"Isn't it?" the girl agreed. "The only problem is that he doesn't know how to make anything, really. I could help him out like I have in the past, but I thought he might like it better if you helped him."

"You think so?" he wondered aloud.

"Of course! Prince Kurogane really likes you a lot, Fai kun," Tomoyo said dreamily. "When he got home from being out with you yesterday, he went straight to his room and lied on his bed for a really long time, not speaking to anyone. The queen said his face turned red when she asked him about you!"

Fai looked at her, eyes wide and glittering with excitement. Could this mean what he thought it did? Was his plan working? "Really?"

"Yes, I saw him myself!" Tomoyo nodded eagerly. "I think maybe…the prince might be in love with you, Fai kun!"

Fai fell silent, his heart pounding joyfully against his ribs. Just a little bit longer, then… His person, his special person would be saved! And he and Kurogane would… That thought ended in a blank. What would become of him and Kurogane once his mission was complete? Fai had already had to say goodbye to so many of the people that he loved and the thought of doing the same to Kurogane… it made his heart ache. He knew that he was being a fool, but he didn't want to say goodbye to Kurogane.

"Well, here we are!" Tomoyo chirped, pushing open the door to Kurogane's room to let him in. "Good luck, Fai kun!"

Kurogane was pacing his room like an angry lion when Fai entered. The prince jumped, looking shocked to see him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he growled.

Fai shrugged, grinning. "A pretty little bird told me that you might like some help with your mother's birthday present."

Kurogane blushed slightly and ran a hand backwards through his hair. "It was Tomoyo, wasn't it?"

"That's not important now," Fai grinned, waving his question aside. "Do you have any ideas yet?"

The prince heaved a sigh and sat heavily on his bed. "Well, she likes desserts, but… You don't know how to cook, do you?"

"As a matter of fact, I'm quite good at it," Fai said.

Kurogane eyed him suspiciously. "Where did you learn something like that?"

Fai understood what he meant, even if Kurogane didn't specify any further than that. He wanted to know why Fai would be good at cooking when he lived on the streets.

Fai forced a smile. "Not everyone who lives on the streets was born there."

The prince frowned at him, clearly waiting for more information but Fai didn't feel like volunteering any more than that, so he quickly changed the subject.

"So did you have a dessert in mind that you wanted to make?" Fai asked cheerfully, clapping his hands together.

Kurogane shrugged. "I don't like sweets so I don't really know anything about them."

"Goodness, Kuropuu," the blond sighed. "You're absolutely no help at all!"

"Shut up!" Kurogane snapped. "Why should I be interested in girly crap like this, anyway?!"

"It's not girly!" Fai protested. "It's fun! Now, do you at least know if your mother likes chocolate?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure she does," Kurogane said.

"Then I know just the thing; Fondant Au Chocolat!" Fai sang. "It's one of my specialties!"

"What is it?" the prince asked.

"Hmm, well, it's like a miniature chocolate cake with warm chocolate sauce inside," he explained. "It's especially good when it's served with vanilla ice cream."

"Fine," Kurogane agreed. "Let's go to the kitchens, then."

Kurogane slipped on his shoes and led Fai toward the kitchens. Fai took his hand and skipped along happily beside him. To his delight, Kurogane didn't pull it away but simply blushed and allowed the affectionate contact between them. As soon as they reached the kitchens, Kurogane pushed the shiny silver doors aside impatiently.

"Alright, everybody out!" he barked at the cooks. All of them froze and looked at him in stunned confusion.

"That's right!" Fai chimed. "We're taking over the kitchen for a little while!"

A man with messy black hair and a baby face spoke up. "What's this about, young master?"

"We're gonna make something here!" Kurogane explained, his face becoming a bit flushed again. "But we don't need any help from you people, so beat it!"

The cooks looked at each other and slowly began to troop out.

"Sorry about this!" Fai called after them. "We don't mean to be rude, but this is supposed to be a secret!"

"DON'T TELL THEM THAT, MORON!!" the prince roared.

"Whoops! I forgot! It's not a secret, but don't tell anyone!" Fai shouted, trying to make up for his mistake.

Kurogane sighed and shook his head.

The baby-faced cook paused uncertainly at the door. "Are… are you sure you don't need any help?"

"Nope! We've got this all under control," Fai assured him. "But thank you for your offer!"

The man looked at the two boys helplessly before leaving the kitchen with the rest of the cooks.

"Now what?" Kurogane asked, staring at Fai expectantly. "Do we need a recipe for this, or something?"

"Don't worry, it's all up here," Fai smiled, tapping his head.

"Tch!" Kurogane snorted doubtfully. "Can you really trust your memory for something like this?"

"It'll be fine; I've made fondant au chocolat plenty of times. Now, let's start by getting out the ingredients," the blond instructed. He listed off the ones they would need.

It took them a while to find everything since neither of them were familiar with the kitchen, but they managed it eventually.

"Good," Fai said, nodding his satisfaction. "I've got the oven heating already so the first step is to melt the chocolate. You have to do a double boiler method or else you'll scorch it. Go ahead, Kuromin."

"Huh? Me?" the prince asked.

"Of course! It won't be as special if I do all the work!" Fai pointed out. "I'll tell you what to do and help if you need me to, but you have to make it with all the love you have in your heart for your mother. Trust me; she'll be able to taste whether it's made with love or not!"

"Why can't you just make it with your love for your own mother?" Kurogane groused.

That struck a nerve; Kurogane saw that immediately, and he was genuinely sorry for it.

"I… be-because…Everyone's love tastes different, Kurorin," the blond replied, trying to smile, though he looked so sad that it made Kurogane almost want to reach out to him.

"Fine, whatever," the prince said quickly. "I'll do it myself, just… don't make that face anymore, alright?"

He picked up the little chunks of chocolate and dropped then into a saucepan.

"Hold on, Kuropyon!" Fai cried as Kurogane approached the stove. "I said you have to use the double boiler method!"

"Well, what the hell does that mean?" Kurogane asked irritably.

"I keep forgetting that Kuropon has never cooked before," Fai sighed. "It means you put the chocolate into a smaller pan and put it inside a bigger pan that's filled with water and _then_ you can put it on the stove."

Kurogane grumbled something about this being pointless as he followed Fai's instructions.

"Now you have to watch it carefully," Fai warned. "Stir it the whole time and make sure that no water gets in with the chocolate. When you can't see anymore solid pieces that means you're finished. I'll whip the cream while Kuropipi takes care of the chocolate."

Fai measured out fifteen centiliters of fresh cream in a bowl and began to whip it with a whisk. As he churned the cream, he kept an eye on Kurogane to make sure he was doing ok. The prince was whacking the chocolate pieces with his metal spoon, trying to break them apart. Fai couldn't see how much success he was having with that particular venture from where he was standing but he did see Kurogane get a little water in his face a few times when he hit the pan too hard. It was a funny sight, Kurogane tending something at the stove. He looked so out of place there that Fai couldn't help laughing a little.

"What the hell's so funny?" Kurogane grumbled.

"Nothing Kuromyuu, nothing," Fai said, trying to stifle his smile. "You just look so cute when you're cooking! You remind me of a daddy!"

"I'm no one's daddy!" he snapped, folding his arms defiantly and taking a big step away from the stove.

"Whatever you say, Kuronpyu," Fai giggled. "But keep stirring the chocolate, ok?"

Kurogane returned obediently to his task, throwing Fai a dirty look over his shoulder as he did so.

"Ok, it's done," the prince said eventually.

Fai came over to check on it and saw that it was finished. "Alright, now we need to turn off the stove and take the chocolate off the heat."

Kurogane followed his instructions, bringing the small pan with the chocolate over to the counter where Fai had whipped the cream. As he was setting the pan down, however, he accidentally brushed his hand against its hot surface. The prince drew his hand away sharply, hissing a series of swearwords as he quickly brought his burn to his mouth and instinctively began to suck on it.

"Oh, are you alright, Kurowanko?" Fai asked concernedly. "You'd better run some cold water on that!"

The blond rushed over to the sink, dragging Kurogane with him, turned the cold water on and stuck his friend's hand under the stream.

"See, there're dangerous parts to cooking, too," Fai said soothingly, continuing to hold Kurogane's hand as the water rushed over it. "It's not as easy as Ouji Wanko thought. Here, let me see it."

He brought the prince's hand out from under the water to examine the burn.

"It doesn't look too bad," he said, looking relieved. "It's just a little burn."

Kurogane blushed at the fuss that Fai was making over him. He was just about to say that he was fine when Fai suddenly leaned down and softly kissed the burn.

"H-Hey!" Kurogane panicked. "What the hell do you think you're…!"

He stopped short, realizing that the pain was gone.

"Feel better?" Fai asked, smiling serenely.

"Hmph!" Kurogane huffed. "Let's just get back to the cooking!"

"Ok then," the other boy grinned, returning to their work station. "Now we have to crack two eggs into this bowl over here."

"I can do that," Kurogane said, snatching an egg up eagerly. He smashed it against the inside of the bowl, getting a lot of the shell in along with it.

"Silly Kurokuro!" Fai laughed, gently taking the remainder of the eggshell from his companion and tossing it into the sink. "You have to crack it a certain way or you'll end up getting shells in it every time. You can pick the shells out, of course, but you might miss some that way."

Kurogane pouted and folded his arms again as he watched Fai pick out the bits of shell with a spoon.

"If you crack it like this," Fai instructed, demonstrating the proper technique, "it's a lot neater. Now add a pinch of salt and a hundred grams of sugar. Good, now whip it with this."

He handed Kurogane the whisk he had used to beat the cream. Kurogane looked at the utensil skeptically before plunging it into the mixture and crushing it savagely.

"Hold on, Kuropiko!" Fai ordered, stopping him. "If you do it like that way you're going to make a mess!"

He took hold of Kurogane's hand and guided him through the proper way. "You need to move it quickly in a circular motion. It works much better."

Even though Kurogane could probably have done it by himself after Fai showed him how, the blond continued to guide the prince's hand with his own and Kurogane didn't complain about it.

"That looks good. Next we have to add the chocolate," Fai said. "Go ahead and pour it in nice and slow so you don't spill any. Now the cream and the water. And mix it all together."

Kurogane grabbed the rubber spatula Fai was offering him to stir with and tried to mix it in the same way he had done the eggs and sugar. Needless to say, he ended up splattering some chocolate on himself before Fai took his hand again patiently and helped him through the process, smiling as he did so. Fai wasn't quite sure, but he thought Kurogane might be doing things wrong on purpose to give the other boy an excuse to touch him. Not that he minded, of course. He could do it all day long.

Once the batter was mixed, Kurogane poured it into small glass bowls and slid them into the oven. As soon as he had shut the oven door, he stepped back looking rather pleased with himself. Making those stupid desserts had been oddly satisfying. He glanced over at Fai to see if he was impressed by his success. The blond was grinning widely at him.

"Very good, Kuronta!" he trilled. "You did it!"

"Hmph. It was easy," Kurogane bragged, rejoining him at the counter.

"And I'm sure your mother will be very proud of you, too," Fai purred. "Oh!"

Before Kurogane could ask what he had said "oh" about, Fai was already looping his arms around the prince's shoulders, standing up on tip-toes so that he could reach Kurogane's face. The dark-haired boy felt something warm and wet swipe across his cheek. It took him a moment to realize that it had been Fai's tongue. He jerked away, blushing furiously and hurriedly wiped the spot off on his sleeve.

"Wh-what the hell was that for?!" Kurogane sputtered.

"Hmm? You had chocolate on your cheek, Kurowanwan," Fai explained innocently. "Would you be happier if I'd just left it there and not said anything?"

"WELL YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO LICK IT OFF!!" Kurogane snapped.

"Anyway, the fondant au chocolat will be ready to come out of the oven in fifteen minutes," Fai said, changing the subject. "We'd better watch the clock carefully so we don't accidentally let it burn."

Kurogane, still fuming, sat down beside Fai to wait. The blond laid his head in Kurogane's lap and closed his eyes.

"Since I taught Kurowankoro how to cook, he has to teach me something in return," Fai decided lazily.

"Like what?" Kurogane growled. He suddenly noticed how soft and shiny Fai's hair looked now that it was fanned out across his lap and he found himself really wanting to touch it, just to know what it felt like.

"What kinds of things does Kuropuu know how to do?" Fai asked.

Kurogane was silent as he thought about that. The only thing that immediately came to his mind was how to use a sword. "I could teach you how to fight with a sword," he offered.

Fai gave him a sweet smile that made the prince's heart flutter. "Ok, I'd like that."

Kurogane quickly looked away, blushing, finding that his shield of roughness and anger was in serious danger of being melted by this pretty little blond with his constant smiles and his strangely lonely blue eyes. Fai would have been absolutely perfect if only his smiles didn't seem so fragile, like they were hiding some terrible painful secret. The prince wished he could find out what that secret was so that he could defeat it for him and finally see Fai smile with his whole heart, not just a fragment of it. And he would keep that smile all to himself and never let anyone else see it; it would be far too beautiful for any other human being to deserve to bask in it.

"What's that look for, Kurochan?" Fai asked, poking him playfully in the chest, his eyes open now.

"Huh?" Kurogane said, shaking himself out of his reverie.

"Kurorinta looked like something was bothering him," he replied, putting a hand to the prince's cheek and stroking it affectionately. "I was just wondering if there was anything I could do to help."

"Tch. It's none of your damn business," Kurogane mumbled, his cheeks flushing again at the touch.

Fai pouted for a moment as his fingers roamed absentmindedly across the other boy's face. But when his fingertips brushed the prince's lips, he paused. Fai touched his lips again gently, slowly, as though trying to memorize the very texture of them. His pout vanished and another warm smile appeared to replace it.

"Your lips are so warm and soft, Kurochuu," Fai breathed. "They're like silk."

"Wh-what's that got to do with anything?!" Kurogane demanded, his face turning scarlet.

"I know it's too soon to do it now, but…" Fai paused, and Kurogane was shocked to see a slight blush on those pale cheeks as well. "Someday, I… I might like to kiss them. Is that alright, Kuropyon?"

"How should I know?!" the prince snapped. "Quit saying weird crap like that!"

Some might have found such an answer disheartening, but Fai was perfectly happy with it. Kurogane hadn't, after all, said no.

* * *

"Ah, there you are, Kurogane, dear," the queen said, smiling. "What have you been up to all day? I feel like I haven't seen you at all recently!"

Kurogane hesitated, not sure what answer to give. Obviously he couldn't tell her that he'd been working on her birthday present.

"That idiot came and bothered me again," he grumbled.

"You mean that friend of yours that you were out spending time with yesterday?" she asked.

"Tch. Do you _know_ any other idiots?" Kurogane retorted.

"You call just about everyone an idiot, Kurogane," his mother laughed. "I can hardly keep track of them all! But you know…"

"Huh?" He turned to face her.

"I was just thinking that there must be something special about this particular idiot," she mused. "Because when you talked about him just now, your voice seemed… different than usual."

Kurogane blushed and hurriedly turned away. "There's nothing special about him! He's just more of an idiot than anyone else I know!"

The queen laughed again. "If you say so, dear. Hmm…by the way, do you smell chocolate?"

The prince started and took a big step backward from her, not wanting her to figure out what he had really been working on earlier. "It's not me! You know I hate sweet stuff!"

"Are you sure?" she asked playfully. "I didn't notice it until you came into the room."

"What's with everyone today?" Kurogane growled, stomping off to his room. "People keep saying the weirdest crap to me!"

The queen just watched him go amusedly. She suspected that the chocolate smell might have something to do with a secret birthday present, but she thought it was probably best if she didn't let on that she was suspicious.

* * *

After Fai had finished baking with Kurogane, he hurried off to the practice room to update his fellow performers on the recent turn of events. They were a very satisfying audience; they hung onto his every word excitedly. When he had finished, they all applauded and congratulated him on his progress with the prince. It was evening by the time Fai returned to Fujitaka's living quarters. When he got there, he found several freshly cut pink lilies lying on his bed.

* * *

"Happy birthday, my love," the king said, pulling his wife into his arms and kissing her lips.

Kurogane looked away; he hated it when his parents got all mushy in front of him. He made himself a promise right then and there never to act like such a moron with the one he loved. Not that there was such a person of course, but if, god forbid, he should have someone some day far off in the future… Like, maybe when he was a senile old man. Kurogane was fairly certain that he would never fall in love while he was still in his right mind.

"My present to you will be a romantic dinner in the flower garden," the king promised. Kurogane rolled his eyes.

"Oh, I can hardly wait!" his mother gushed happily. Then she looked over at Kurogane expectantly.

"Yeah, here," he said shortly, thrusting a cake box with a red ribbon on it at her.

The queen looked highly amused by her son's characteristic gruffness as she took the cake box from him. Kurogane pretended not to be interested in watching her unwrap it but he couldn't help looking out of the corner of his eye. When she saw the little cakes inside, she gasped.

"Wow, Kurogane! Did you make these all by yourself?"

"Well, that stupid guy told me how but, yeah, I made 'em." The prince couldn't help feeling just a little pleased with himself again for having pulled it off.

"Mmm, it's delicious!" she sighed, taking a bite. She offered one of the cakes to his father who dug in eagerly.

"Wow! It really is good!" the king marveled. "It seems our Kurogane could be quite the chef if he wanted to be!"

Kurogane shrugged, trying to act like it had been nothing. "Cooking isn't hard."

"And you said your new friend helped you with them, right?" his mother asked. "I'll bet you two had a lot of fun making these, didn't you?"

Kurogane blushed but just huffed in response.

His parents looked at each other in amazement.

"Such lavish praise again!" his mother said, smiling serenely.

"What do you mean?!" Kurogane snarled. "I didn't even say anything!"

"I'd like to meet him," she decided.

Kurogane was horrified. She wanted to meet Fai?! Surely she wasn't serious! "Wh-what?! Why would you want to meet that idiot?! Really, he's nobody!"

"Ha ha! Look at him blushing!" his father pointed out amusedly.

The queen giggled. "Your reaction only makes me more curious! Why don't you invite him to dinner tomorrow night? I'm sure your father would like to meet him, too."

"I sure would!" the king agreed heartily.

"N-no way!" the prince sputtered. "I'm not inviting that guy anywhere!"

"If you don't, Kurogane, then _I_ will," his mother smiled. "I'm interested to see what kind of person could have such an effect on my son, the boy who is never impressed by anyone."

Kurogane gaped at her, hardly able to believe what he was hearing. His brain cast around desperately for some excuse, some way out. "You don't know even know his name! You don't even know what he looks like!" he pointed out, feeling relieved. "You can't invite someone if you don't even know who they are!"

The queen looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled again, this time looking regretful. "I guess you're right. How disappointing! And I really wanted to meet him, too!"

"Yeah, well… too bad," he replied, not sounding the least bit sorry.

"You're such a party-pooper, son," his father complained.

"Are you sure there's nothing we can do to persuade you, Kurogane? Your parents just want to be a part oft their son's life, yet you're always trying to keep us out."

Kurogane wasn't swayed by her sob story. "Trust me; I'm doing you a favor here. The guy's freaking insane."

"Hmm…" his mother said, not looking convinced. "Well, if that's the case then I suppose there's nothing more for us to discuss. You'd best get started on your lessons for the day, Kurogane. I let you put them off to spend time with your friend yesterday but I won't let you skip them, especially when you won't do your mother just this tiny little favor of letting her meet your friend. Go to your room and I'll send for the tutor."

She waved him away, burying her face exaggeratedly in the king's chest, looking distinctly teary-eyed. Kurogane glanced at her over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Perhaps he was imagining things, but it seemed that his mother had given up the fight much too easily. Indeed, once her son was gone, the queen smiled secretively at her husband. As if she would withdraw from the challenge just because the boy was being uncooperative! If she couldn't get information from him, there were plenty of other sources that she could turn to for help. She was, after all, the queen.

* * *

"My lord!" Kyle shouted, inviting himself into the king's room, again without knocking, doing a little dance of anticipation. "I have news concerning the other boy!"

He couldn't suppress a little grin from spreading across his lips at the thought of the treats that were about to be showered upon him. He could practically taste those cookies already.

The king was startled by his servant's sudden appearance, frozen in place at the full-length mirror he was standing before. Kyle stared at the extremely creepy grin on his master's face. The shock Fei Wong had just suffered from being interrupted was mingled with it, making it look particularly strange. Kyle and Fei Wong stared at each other, wide-eyed.

"Er…My lord?" Kyle squeaked.

Fei Wong cleared his throat, the disturbing expression mercifully disappearing from his face. "Kyle! Didn't we just have a talk about _knocking_ before entering someone's room?!"

"S-sorry, sir!" he said hurriedly. Then he paused. "What were you…?"

"Not that it's any of your business!" Fei Wong snapped. "But I was practicing my villain smile! I must perfect it so that it strikes fear into the hearts of all who lay eyes on it!"

Kyle blinked. "Well, if… if it's any consolation, my lord, you scared the crap out of me just now."

"Really?" Fei Wong reproduced his creepy smile, studying it closely in the mirror. Then he shook his head. "But there will be plenty of time for that later. You said you had news of the other boy?"

"It's just as I suspected, my lord," Kyle said eagerly. "The other boy is dead."

"Dead…" Fei Wong repeated slowly, stroking his ass-chin. "If that's true, then there's nothing to stop us from getting rid of the one in the palace…"

"But how, sir? The palace is as closely guarded as any," Kyle said. "It will be extremely difficult to get in. I imagine it will be even more difficult to find the boy even once we're inside."

"Not if we play our cards right," Fei Wong disagreed. "Of course, if we sneak in, we will constantly be in danger of getting caught. But if we're invited, it'll be no problem."

Kyle looked confused. "Invited?"

"Go find the scribe in charge of international correspondence and bring him here," the king ordered, his creepy grin returning. "We're going to send a little treaty to our neighbors in Suwa."

* * *

Fai had just finished setting up all Mokona's things when there was a knock at the door. The blond hastily brushed off the dust from the kitty litter that he had just finished pouring and went to answer the door. Since it was well into the evening, Fai was expecting Fujitaka to be returning at any time, but that couldn't be him knocking. These were his living quarters after all and he had a key.

Fai pulled open the door and blinked in surprise. A woman whom he had never met with flowing black hair and gentle features stood before him, smiling. Fai thought she looked a lot like Tomoyo; perhaps this woman was her mother? But she was dressed so splendidly that he dismissed the theory. Everyone in the palace was well-dressed but this woman's outfit was so elaborate that he doubted she was merely a servant. If she wasn't a servant, the only other possibility was that she was…

"Good evening!" she said cheerfully. "My, what an adorable child! Are you Fai kun?"

"Yes, ma'am," Fai chirped, returning her smile and bowing deeply. If this woman was who he thought she was, he figured he had better be extra polite. "Are you looking for Fujitaka san? I'm afraid he's not back yet."

"Actually, Fai kun, I'm here to see you," she replied kindly. "Let me introduce myself; I am Kurogane's mother."

* * *

Kurogane heaved a sigh when someone knocked on his door. Couldn't that person, whoever they were, just go away? His stupid lessons were giving him a headache. When the visitor knocked again, he growled, dragged himself to his feet, and ripped open the door. He was irritated when he saw a servant standing there.

"Yeah, what?" he asked impatiently.

"The queen has ordered me to clean your room, young master," the servant said.

Kurogane was struck with dread. He wasn't sure, but he had the overpowering suspicion that this had something to do with the interest his mother had expressed in Fai earlier. Pushing past the servant, a knot of cold fear in his stomach, he dashed off to find his mother.

"Mother!" he shouted, stomping into her room. "What's going on?!"

His mother was sitting at her vanity, calmly brushing out her long dark hair, getting ready for the romantic dinner that her husband had promised her.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Kurogane," she replied innocently, hardly looking at him.

"That servant you sent to clean my room!" Kurogane demanded. "Why?! You… you didn't go find that stupid guy and invite him to eat with us, did you?!"

"Oh, you mean Fai kun?" she asked sweetly. "I may have had a little talk with him, yes."

Kurogane sank to his knees in shock. How could she have done this to him?! How had she found Fai?!

"Don't look so shocked, dear," the queen advised coolly. "I told you I would invite him to dinner if you didn't to it yourself. I wasn't saying it just to hear myself talk."

"But…! But I…! You…!" he stammered hopelessly. "Why… why does my room need to be clean if he's just coming for dinner?!"

"He's not just coming for dinner; I invited him to stay for a sleepover party afterwards," she told him matter-of-factly.

Kurogane felt light-headed. This couldn't be happening. Was his mother deliberately trying to kill him? Fai was a freak at the best of times. What would he do when they were sleeping in the same room together?

"Really, Kurogane, I'm doing you a favor," his mother said. "Can't you at least say thank you?"

The prince couldn't say anything. All he could do was make odd choking sounds and stare vaguely as his tragically short life flashed before his eyes.

"Oh, Kurogane! Quit being such a drama queen!" the queen ordered exasperatedly. "You know, this wouldn't be happening if you had just asked Fai kun to dinner yourself like I told you to. Besides, I don't know what you're so worried about. You're going to have a lot of fun. That Fai kun is a very nice boy and he really likes you a lot. And I think you like him too, in spite of this little act you're putting on. I _know_ you like him; otherwise you wouldn't have bought him that sweet little white kitten."

Oh god, she knew about the cat, too. Where was she getting all this information?! Most likely she had gotten that part from Fai himself. Next time he saw that scrawny bastard, he was going to punt-kick his ass out one of the spire windows.

"Don't you dare," his mother warned.

Kurogane blinked. "Huh?"

"I know that face," she said shrewdly. "That's the face you always make when you're thinking that you'd like to punt-kick someone out of one of the spire windows. You're not to hurt that boy. He's going to eat dinner with us tomorrow night and the two of you will have a sleepover party and you'll have fun. Now that that's settled, you'd better go to bed; you'll probably be staying up late tomorrow night."

He stared numbly at her until she made a little shooing gesture at him with her hand. Still feeling as though the rug had been jerked out from under him, Kurogane dragged himself to his feet, trudged back to his room, and flopped down on his bed, ignoring the servant who was still in there cleaning. He doubted his mother had any idea how right she was when she said that he would probably be staying up late the next night.

* * *

**A/N: **Dun dun dun! Oh boy, a sleepover! Won't that be fun for those two?

Please review; it's always fun to hear people's theories about where they think the story will go. I'm hoping no one can foresee the ending, though. I want it to surprise you!


	20. Mischief

**A/N: **Hum… What to say? I've got nothing. I guess we'll just get this show on the road, then.

**Mischief**

By the time Fujitaka returned that night, it was late. Fai hadn't been able to sleep, though, too excited about what tomorrow would bring, and was still awake to greet him. Fujitaka looked exhausted when he came in but he still managed to procure a smile for Fai.

"Welcome back, Fujitaka san!" Fai said brightly. "Have you been working until just now?"

"I'm afraid so," Fujitaka sighed, sitting down on his bed to remove his shoes. "The king received a treaty from the king of a nearby country this morning so he needs all his advisors to help him decide whether or not to sign it."

"Did you decide?" Fai asked.

"Not yet," the man admitted. "These kinds of things need to be thought out carefully so we don't end up in a situation that would hurt the kingdom. It looks like I might be working late for the next couple of nights."

Mokona, who had been lurking under Fai's bed, darted out and pounced playfully on Fujitaka's feet.

"Oh!" he gasped in surprise. Then he laughed. "And who do we have here? An intruder?"

"No, she's mine," Fai grinned. "Her name is Mokona."

"Where did she come from?" Fujitaka asked, picking the kitten up and scratching behind her ears.

"Kurosama and I went and walked around town yesterday and he bought her for me," the blond told him happily.

"Prince Kurogane bought her for you?" Fujitaka repeated in astonishment. "Goodness, you two sure are getting to be friends quickly! Usually Prince Kurogane doesn't seem to care much for the company of other people. I'm impressed! So is that what you've been up to recently? Spending time with the prince?"

"Yep! Today we made fondant au chocolat. There were some extras so I saved one for you, Fujitaka san!" Fai chattered excitedly, jumping up to get the treat for him. "I tried one earlier and I think they turned out really good!"

Fujitaka took a bite and his eyes grew wide with amazement. "This is delicious! You and Prince Kurogane made these?"

"Well, Kurosama did most of the work; I just told him what to do," Fai explained. "And that's not all! The queen stopped by earlier and invited me to have dinner with them and stay for a sleepover with Kurosama afterwards! I'm so excited that I couldn't sleep! That's why I'm still up right now."

Fujitaka listened to Fai talk, eating the dessert slowly. When Fai had finished, Fujitaka smiled warmly at him. "I'm glad the two of you are getting along so well. I've been hoping that Prince Kurogane would be able to find a friend; sometimes he just looks so lonely… You too, Fai kun."

"Eh? You think I seem lonely?" Fai asked, tilting his head.

"I don't mean to be rude," the advisor said quickly. "There's just something about your eyes that seems sad... Maybe you two will be able to cure each other's loneliness."

The blond lowered his eyes, considering Fujitaka's words. "That would be nice," he sighed, smiling sorrowfully to himself.

Fujitaka finished off the last of his fondant au chocolat and yawned. "I'd like to stay up and talk to you a little longer, Fai kun, but I think I'd better get some sleep. I have to be up early again tomorrow to continue the meeting about the treaty. You should try to sleep, too; I'm sure you and the prince will probably stay up pretty late tomorrow night at your sleepover."

"Ok, Fujitaka san," Fai agreed. "Goodnight, then."

Fujitaka turned off the light and Fai made kissy noises at Mokona to signal her back to his bed. He lied down and the kitten curled up under his chin, her wet little pink nose lightly touching his throat. Fai smiled softly as he stroked her and eventually he managed to fall asleep.

* * *

Kurogane hesitated outside Fujitaka's door the next morning, trying to gather the courage to knock. He wasn't sure why he should need courage to do something stupid like knock on the door, but for some reason every time he raised his fist to it his heart began to pound and his cheeks felt hot. The prince wondered if maybe he should just forget it. It wasn't like he especially wanted to teach Fai how to use a sword. No matter how firmly he told himself this, Kurogane couldn't seem to tear himself away from the door.

Finally he took a deep breath and forced himself to knock loudly. There was a painfully long pause, during which his heart thumped as noisily as he had just tapped on the door. Finally the door opened. Fai was standing there in his pajamas, holding Mokona in one arm. He appeared to have just woken up.

"Oh, it's Kuropipi," Fai said, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Hello, Kuropipi; what are you doing here?"

Kurogane cleared his throat and blushed. "You wanted me to teach you how to swordfight, didn't you?"

"Mm, that's right," Fai remembered. "Just a minute, then… I'll get my clothes on. Come in, Kurorun."

Kurogane followed the blond inside, shutting the door behind them. Fai pulled out a pair of Touya's old clothes and began to change right there in front of the prince.

"Wh-what the hell do you think you're doing?!" Kurogane stammered, his face burning like the rising sun.

"Getting dressed, of course," Fai replied easily. "Would you like it better if I just went out to practice in my pajamas?"

"I don't care if you put your damn clothes on but don't do it right in front of me, dumbass!" Kurogane choked, trying not to look at him.

"Goodness, Kurokuro's really embarrassed, huh?" the other boy marveled. Then he grinned. "But why should you care? I'm not a girl."

"I know that, but…!"

"Then what's the problem? Unless of course Kurotan feels guilty for liking what he sees…" Fai suggested smugly.

"WH-WHY THE HELL WOULD I LIKE SOMETHING GROSS LIKE THAT?!!" Kurogane snapped.

Fai just laughed as he finished dressing. "I just have to feed Mokona and then we can go, ok?"

Kurogane folded his arms sullenly, watching as Fai poured a small amount of cat food into Mokona's bowl. Then the blond straightened up and gave him a sunny smile.

"Ok, I'm ready now, Daddy."

"I'm not you damn daddy," Kurogane grumbled, leading the way out of Fujitaka's room.

Fai held his hand on their way down to the practice field. When he noticed how Kurogane's trembled slightly as though he was nervous, Fai giggled.

"Your hand is shaking, Kuropii. Do I make you nervous?"

"I told you to quit being a dumbass!" Kurogane retaliated. "Why the hell would _you_ make me nervous?!"

"Are you cold, then?" Fai asked sweetly. "I could give you a nice warm hug, if you'd like."

"Just shut up!" Kurogane snapped, blushing.

Fai smiled but obediently kept quiet until they were outside. The practice field was empty except for the pleasant flood of sunlight. Fai stretched his arms above his head luxuriously.

"Mm, isn't it beautiful out here?" he sighed, breathing deeply. "Maybe we could skip sword practice and just take a nap together out here in the sunshine. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Kurogane opened his mouth to agree with him but caught himself just in time.

"Tch! You were the one who came up with this idea!" he growled. "If you wanted to sleep you should have just kept your damn mouth shut!"

"What a strict teacher!" Fai pouted. Then he smiled again. "Alright, I'll let you teach me, but I expect to get a treat each time I do a new move right."

Kurogane snorted. "Yeah, well… we'll see about that when it actually happens."

He turned away quickly then, his cheeks reddening again as he bent down to pick up two wooden practice swords. Even though he knew it was stupid of him, Kurogane couldn't help wondering if Fai had noticed how he hadn't shot the idea down. Fai, it turned out, was completely aware of this and it made him so happy that he began to hum a little song. The prince handed him a wooden sword.

"It would be stupid to let you use a real sword on your first try, so we'll practice with these," he grunted. "I guess the first thing you should know is how to hold it. Spread your feet apart like this so you won't fall over when your enemy attacks you. Right, now hold the sword tightly with both hands. If you're right handed, your right hand should be on the bottom so that you get more power in your swing."

Kurogane talked him through the basics, pausing every now and then to demonstrate. The prince was pleased and surprised to see that Fai listened carefully to his every word and seemed to be doing his best to mimic the moves that Kurogane showed him. Once or twice, Kurogane even caught himself being momentarily distracted by the adorable look of concentration on Fai's face. When Kurogane was satisfied that Fai had gotten down each technique by itself, he proposed a sparring match. He and the blond both got into the ready position.

"Ready… go!" Kurogane shouted, lunging forward. Fai actually managed to block the first attack, and the second, but then Kurogane went in for a downward attack, tricking Fai into raising his sword high above his head to block it and thereby leaving his ribs and stomach unprotected. Kurogane let go of his sword with one hand and used his finger to poke Fai in the side. Fai let out a little shriek of laughter and dropped his sword to clutch his sides protectively.

"That's cheating, Kuropun!" Fai whined, though he was smiling. "No tickling allowed in a swordfight!"

"Everything's allowed in a swordfight," Kurogane growled. "It's your own fault for leaving yourself wide open like that. Anyway, it's like that saying 'everything's fair in war'."

"I'm pretty sure the saying is 'everything's fair in love and in war'," Fai corrected him.

"I _know_ that but the other part's got nothing to do with sword practice so I left it out," Kurogane said impatiently. "So when you're fighting someone, you have to remember to keep your ribs and stomach guarded by your arms as much as possible. You're a lot less likely to die from a cut on your arm than from a cut in your stomach."

"So… like this, then?" Fai asked, letting go of his sword with one hand and crossing it over his chest.

"No, you've got to keep both hands on the sword," Kurogane said. "Do it like this."

The prince put his own sword down and went around behind Fai to position his arms correctly. He brought Fai's elbows in close to his sides and turned him slightly to the side to minimize the target space. But even when Fai was in the correct stance, Kurogane couldn't make himself take his hands away from the blond's slender waist. Fai felt warm and pleasantly soft in his grasp. And his delicate pale face was so breathtaking and so close to his that the prince found himself staring uncontrollably.

Fai apparently noticed Kurogane's unnaturally long pause because he looked over at him curiously. Oh god, Fai knew he was staring now. That was bad; look away, Kurogane ordered himself, look away. But he couldn't for some reason; it was as though he was frozen in place. Fai brought his face closer to the other boy's hesitantly, his lips parting hopefully. Kurogane was moving closer now, too, like he was being drawn forward by some kind of invisible magnet. The two of them were so close that their lips actually brushed. The contact brought Kurogane sharply back to his senses and he ripped himself away from Fai, blushing furiously.

"Th-that's enough sword practice for now," he mumbled, turning his back to his companion.

He felt dizzy all of a sudden, as though he had just released a breath that he had been holding for too long, and he was vaguely aware that he was trembling slightly from head to toe. Fai wasn't sure what to do; on one hand, he was disappointed and a bit hurt that Kurogane had jerked away from him like that. On the other hand, though, he realized that he had probably only pulled away because he was confused and maybe even a bit frightened by having these kinds of feelings toward another boy.

Fai shook himself and decided not to take it personally; getting all depressed over this would only waste time that he could be getting closer to the prince. He didn't know how _that_ person was faring currently, but he was sure that he didn't have any extra time to be throwing around carelessly. So Fai hitched his smile back in place and approached Kurogane slowly from behind. Kurogane didn't move, even when Fai was mere inches away from him, but the blond was sure he knew he was there. He took that as an invitation to continue and wrapped his arms around the prince's waist affectionately, resting his cheek against his friend's back.

"Hold on a minute, Kurowanko," he said mischievously. "I seem to remember you agreeing to give me a reward for each sword move I did right. I did the work; now where's my prize?"

Kurogane snorted and folded his arms, though he was extremely glad that Fai didn't seem to be holding what had just happened against him. It wasn't until after he had already pulled away from him that it occurred to him that his refusal to kiss him might have really hurt the blond. "I never made any promises."

"Aw, don't be so stingy, Kurotan!" Fai complained. "Hey, I know! We can go look at the garden again! That's not too much to ask, is it?"

"Why the hell are you so interested in those damn flowers?" Kurogane asked as Fai pulled him toward the royal garden.

"Oh…" Fai stopped walking so that he could turn and face Kurogane, "speaking of flowers, was Kurochii the one who sent those lilies to my room last night?"

Kurogane blushed and looked down at the ground. "Well, my… my mother said those chocolate things you helped me make were good, so I thought…"

Fai smiled as the prince trailed off awkwardly. "So it really was you, then?" he asked quietly.

"You can always just throw them out if you don't like them!" Kurogane blurted.

The blond took the other boy's hands between both of his own. "No, I love them. Thank you."

Kurogane's blush deepened when he saw the genuine gratitude sparkling in Fai's lively blue eyes. He cleared his throat and tugged at his collar slightly, wondering why seeing Fai smile like that should suddenly make it seem so hard to breathe. "So… are we gonna go to the garden or what?" he growled.

Fai laughed and continued to lead Kurogane toward it. "Kuropii's so anxious all of a sudden!"

The blond boy pushed open the garden gate and sighed happily when he was greeted by the vast array of blooms. He tugged Kurogane inside and shut the gate behind them. The garden was enclosed by tall hedges so when he closed the gate, the two of them found themselves in a rather secluded place. Kurogane noticed this instantly, but Fai apparently was too absorbed in the flowers to notice or care. Fai sat down on the grass and eventually the prince followed suit. He still didn't understand why Fai liked these stupid flowers so much. It wasn't like they did anything interesting; they just stood there, looking lame and waiting for someone else to come along and tend to their needs.

Fai pushed Kurogane down on his back in the grass and laid his head on the prince's chest. "Isn't this perfect, Kurochan?" he breathed. "I love the smell of flowers in warm sunshine…"

Kurogane wasn't sure what to say. He supposed he could kind of see where Fai was coming from but if he agreed he'd sound like a pansy. Kurogane glanced down as Fai slid his slender arms around his shoulders, hugging him as he closed his eyes blissfully. They stayed like that for a long time, neither one saying anything. Fai didn't open his eyes, either, and his breathing had become deep and slow. Kurogane prodded him gently a few times but got no response and realized that Fai was asleep. The prince rolled his eyes, thinking that the blond reminded him of a cat, curling up to sleep in the sun like this.

He briefly considered pushing Fai off of him but for some strange reason, he found himself not wanting to wake him. It might have had something to do with the soft smile on the other boy's lips that made him feel this way. Kurogane sighed and wondered what the hell he was supposed to do while he was stuck here with Fai asleep on him. The prince tried to let his mind wander the way it often did on its own when he was trying to do his lessons. Somehow, though, it seemed to just keep coming back to Fai. Kurogane sighed, wondering why his mind was deciding to be so difficult right now.

Eventually, Fai's pleasantly warm weight began to make the prince feel sleepy. He thought about curling his arms around him and pulling him closer but he was afraid of what would happen if Fai awoke to find Kurogane cuddling him. Besides, Fai was already holding him and snuggling as close to him as he could. It wasn't like Kurogane would be able to pull him any closer even if he wanted to, which, by the way, he tried to tell himself sternly, he most certainly didn't. But he still couldn't help feeling a surge of oddly sweet affection toward the boy who was curled up against him. Irritated by the way his mind and heart were acting right now, Kurogane did his best to tune both of them out as he allowed his eyes to slide shut.

* * *

"Well, what do we have here?"

Kurogane slowly opened his eyes and blinked. It took him a moment to realize that the dark shadow over his face was produced by someone leaning over him, blocking out the sunlight. Then he remembered that he had fallen asleep in the garden with Fai and he sat up with a start. Fai, who hadn't been awake yet when Kurogane had decided to sit up, jumped at the disturbance and looked around bemusedly.

"It seems that the prince has found himself a special friend," the uninvited guest remarked, laughter barely concealed behind his voice.

Kurogane's eyes had to adjust to the sudden blaze of sunlight before he was able to make out the face of the royal gardener, Kakei. Kurogane had never actually spoken to Kakei before, but he recognized a threat to his pride when he saw one. He didn't need to be a genius to figure out that the gardener was making fun of him.

"H-Hey, shut up!" Kurogane snarled, blushing. "Who the hell do you think you are, you bastard?! You've got a lot of nerve to make fun of your prince like that!"

Kakei just laughed. "I guess flowers aren't the only thing blooming here; it appears that young gay love is in blossom now as well!"

Kurogane jumped to his feet, jerking Fai up with him. The poor blond was still in a daze and not quite sure what was going on.

"Just wait till my father hears about this, asshole!" Kurogane seethed, his face crimson as he made a mad dash for the garden gate, dragging Fai along.

Kakei watched the two of them leave, unaffected by the prince's threat, an amused smile still playing about his lips as he began to water the flowers.

* * *

Kyle was in heaven. He was lying stretched out on a long couch, munching the cookies he had received for the fake information on the other boy. Not only that, but he had also talked Fei Wong into making Xing Huo massage his feet as a reward for having successfully delivered the treaty to the palace in Suwa. Xing Huo, it seemed, was considerably less pleased about this.

"More lotion, please," Kyle requested smugly.

Xing Huo glared at him darkly, squeezing more lotion into her hand and pushing her thumbs harder into the soles of his feet.

"Oh dear, such hostility," the man sighed, dropping another cookie into his mouth. "Really, Xing Huo, being bitter never helped anyone. This could be happening the other way around, you know, if you would do the master's bidding once in a while. I certainly wouldn't mind massaging _your_ feet; I've always thought you were a lovely girl."

Xing Huo said nothing, apparently trying to block him out.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is," he continued through a mouthful of cookie, "can't we just be friends?"

Kyle grinned at her, though pieces of chocolate chip from his treat were stuck to a few of his teeth, making it look as though he was missing them. Xing Huo threw the bottle of lotion at his face.

* * *

Fai returned to Fujitaka's living quarters with the intention of taking a bath before it was time for him to meet up with Kurogane and his parents for dinner. When he got to the highly polished crimson door to the advisor's room, he noticed a thick package wrapped in brown paper sitting outside it with his name on it. He picked it up curiously, waiting until he was inside to unwrap it. There was a beautiful new outfit inside: a white jacket with light blue trim on the lapels and the ends of the sleeves and shiny silver buttons and ornate silver designs that snaked their way gracefully up the arms and down the center of the back, a light blue dress shirt to go underneath it and a pair of long, slender black dress pants.

As Fai held up the jacket to admire it, a little piece of paper that had been folded up inside it somewhere came fluttering out. He bent down and picked it up. _Fai kun, Good luck tonight at dinner and with your sleepover! Love Tomoyo._ The blond smiled fondly. Tomoyo was too good to him; everyone in the palace was. He made a mental note to thank her later. Fai laid his new outfit out on his bed and skipped into the bathroom to brush his teeth and take a bath.

* * *

"Kurogane, come here," his mother requested. "I want to talk to you before Fai kun gets here."

Kurogane hesitated; his mother wanted to talk to him about Fai? He wasn't sure he wanted to hear what she had to say. Knowing her, it might be something really embarrassing. The queen signaled him over and he came obediently, albeit reluctantly.

"I know it's part of your nature to be a bit… blunt with people, Kurogane, but I just wanted to tell you to please be kind to Fai kun," she said seriously.

Kurogane stared at her. "Why are you telling me this all of a sudden?"

"Fai kun needs you as a friend," his mother continued. "He's been through a lot of terrible things, is still going through them even now. He needs someone to prove that the whole world hasn't turned against him."

"What do you mean?" Kurogane asked, frowning. "What kind of things? Did he tell you something last night when you talked to him?"

The queen shook her head, smiling slightly. "He didn't seem to want to talk about anything that had happened to him before he came to the palace, but I could tell that he was hurting badly even though he does his best to hide it."

She smiled at him softly and caressed his cheek. "You can help heal him, Kurogane. I know you can. He may not be willing to let you at first, but if you prove to him that he can trust you, that you'll listen if he needs someone to talk to, I know you'll be able to persuade him eventually. Please try your best, dear, for Fai kun's sake?"

Kurogane said nothing, but his mother knew him well enough to know that this was his gruff way of accepting the challenge.

"Thank you, Kurogane," she whispered, hugging him. "You're a good boy."

* * *

As soon as a servant appeared, leading Fai into the royal dining room with him, Kurogane stared determinedly down at his plate. He was still feeling awkward about what had happened that morning during their sword practice and when Kakei had found them together in the garden. Fai, it seemed, wasn't bothered by those things at all. He skipped over to the table, pulled out the chair next to Kurogane and sat down.

"Hello, Kuropon!" he said cheerfully. "My, don't you look nice!"

Kurogane blushed and said nothing, but he couldn't help thinking that Fai didn't look so bad either. Not that he would ever say that out loud, of course.

"Hello again, Fai kun," the queen smiled. "I'm glad you could make it."

"I wouldn't miss dinner with Kurochii and his family for the world, your majesty!" Fai chirped.

"Kurogane, dear," his mother piped. "Be polite and introduce Fai kun to your father."

Fai and the king glanced at each other and smiled before looking expectantly at Kurogane.

"Well obviously they can both guess who the other person is!" Kurogane growled, his blush deepening.

The king laughed. "He's a shy one, our boy. It's nice to finally meet you, Fai kun; Kurogane here refuses to give us very many details about his friends so we figured this was the only way we'd get a chance to learn more about you."

"I'm flattered that you'd want to know more about me, you majesty," Fai replied politely with a slight bow.

"You're much politer than I imagined you'd be, too!" the king marveled. "Since Kurogane likes you so much, I was afraid you'd be more like him!"

Fai giggled and looked over at Kurogane. The prince's face was scarlet. "Cut it out, Dad!"

"I'm glad you were willing to make friends with him, Fai kun," Kurogane's father continued, "though I can't imagine for the life of me what you see in this little rascal!"

"Dad!" the prince whined. "Leave me alone!"

Everyone but Kurogane laughed, but the prince was spared further humiliation for the moment by Touya appearing with their food.

"So Fai kun, tell us a little about yourself," the king said, picking up his chopsticks and taking some tempura. "Where are you from?"

"I'm from Celes, your majesty," Fai answered, picking up his spoon and leaving the chopsticks. He figured he'd have better luck with the spoon.

"Celes, huh?" Kurogane's father nodded slowly, swallowing a bite of his food. "I thought you might be from there. Your accent gave you away. But no more of this 'your majesty' business; we're all friends here so there's no need to be so formal! You can call us Mom and Dad."

Fai found this somewhat amusing; it made it sound as though he and Kurogane were married and that the king and queen were his in-laws. It seemed impolite to laugh, though, so Fai did his best to stifle it.

"Ok, Dad," he grinned.

"Don't make him call you guys Mom and Dad!" Kurogane interrupted indignantly. "You make it sound like we're married or something!"

"I wouldn't mind being married to Kuronpyu!" Fai giggled, causing the prince's face to turn scarlet again.

"Oh, look at him blush!" the king laughed. "Looks like he wouldn't mind being married to you either, Fai kun!"

"QUIT SCREWING AROUND!!" Kurogane snapped. "TWO GUYS CAN'T GET MARRIED!!"

The rest of them sniggered like a bunch of school girls with a secret. Kurogane buried his face in his hands to hide his embarrassment and made a mental note not to try and defend himself anymore; it only made things worse.

"Why are you using a spoon, Fai kun?" the queen asked curiously. "Did the servants forget to set chopsticks for you?"

Fai laughed awkwardly, a slight flush coming to his pale cheeks. "No, I have some, but… I'm afraid I don't know how to use them. We didn't use chopsticks in Celes. Sorry."

"Oh, that's perfectly alright," the queen reassured him. "I was just afraid that they'd accidentally skipped you. I could have one of the servants bring you a fork, if you'd like."

"Well, if it's not too much trouble…" Fai said sheepishly.

The queen motioned one of the servants over and asked her to get a fork of Fai.

"So how is it that you came to us?" the king asked while his wife was occupied. "I mean, what about your home?"

The sudden question about his home froze him in place, his spoon, which was raised half-way to his mouth, instantly forgotten. Fai couldn't say he hadn't been afraid that such a question would come up but he had hoped maybe he'd be able to avoid it. It didn't help that Kurogane was now staring intently at him, as though eagerly awaiting his answer.

When the queen realized what had happened, she immediately came to Fai's rescue. "_This_ is Fai kun's home now, darling," she told her husband smoothly.

Fai felt a rush of gratitude toward her for saving him. Kurogane looked away again, disappointed. The king, thankfully, seemed to take his wife's hint that this topic was off limits and let it drop.

"So, er…" the king said uneasily, trying to change the subject. "I, uh… I don't believe I ever found out how you and Kurogane met. Why don't you tell us about that?"

Fai seized the opportunity to talk about something else and launched into the story. Kurogane wish he could just disappear as he listened to the blond's retelling; of course Fai exaggerated everything and described Kurogane's actions in a painfully detailed way, and naturally his parents found the whole thing to be hilarious. It didn't help when the queen happened to recall the conversation they had had at the breakfast table the morning after he had met Fai.

"So Fai kun was the one you were so busy thinking about that morning, Kurogane?" she asked, looking amused.

"This is stupid!" the prince howled. "Don't you people have anything better to talk about?!"

All of them laughed at him again. Even the servants who were standing around the perimeter of the room in case the royal family needed anything had to try hard to suppress their smiles.

"He's blushing again!" the king pointed out loudly. "If I didn't know better, I'd say it was love at first sight! Isn't that right, dear?"

"We wouldn't blame you, of course, Kurogane," his mother giggled. "Fai kun _is_ absolutely adorable, after all!"

Kurogane couldn't believe the crap that was spewing out of their mouths. It was insane!

"You really think so, Mom?" Fai asked, smiling shyly.

"Yes, you're beautiful, Fai kun!" the queen gushed. "And with Kurogane being so handsome like his father, the two of you would make a lovely pair."

Kurogane couldn't help looking over at Fai to see what his reaction to his mother's opinion would be. He was surprised to see that Fai wasn't laughing; the blond just lowered his eyes and smiled sadly.

* * *

"I've got another one…" the king gasped, trying to talk through his laughter. "I've got another one! The one where…Remember, dear, when Kurogane was three years old and he told you what he was going to do if an oni ever got inside the castle?!"

Kurogane's parents both burst out laughing at the memory. The prince wanted to die of embarrassment; why did his parents have to resort to ridiculous stories about him as a child for dinner conversation when Fai was here? Now the damn servants weren't bothering to conceal their laughter anymore and even Kurogane's frequent murderous glares at them could only shut them up for so long before they started up again. Of course, Fai was laughing his ass off, too. No one who had heard these stories was going to leave this room, Kurogane decided; he was going to have to kill every last one of them.

"You tell it," Kurogane's father told the queen, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "You do a much better job of it than I do."

"Alright," his mother agreed, taking a deep breath to compose herself before beginning the story. "Kurogane's father was leaving to help squash an oni uprising in the southern part of the kingdom, and Kurogane, of course, wants to go along and help, too. His father says 'I need you to stay here, son. You have to protect the palace in case any onis try to get inside while I'm gone.' Kurogane says 'but I wanna go with you!' But his father tells him 'why don't you go to your room and figure out what you would do if an oni got in? You need to have a plan, you know; those onis are tricky'.

"Kurogane wasn't very happy about having to stay behind, but he did as he was told and goes to his room to make his plan. After a long time, he comes out and runs up to me, all excited. 'I figured it out, Mama! Do you wanna know what I'm gonna do if I see a oni?!' he asks me."

Kurogane groaned and tried to merge his skull with the table so he wouldn't have to hear it.

"So I said 'ok, Kurogane, tell Mommy what you're going to do," the queen went on. "Kurogane says 'I'm gonna kick his ask!'"

Everyone roared with laughter. Kurogane covered his ears, trying to block it all out, blushing furiously. It wasn't working.

"Of course, I was surprised to hear him say that!" his mother continued, once her giggling had subsided enough. "Where would my three-year-old son have heard that word? I thought maybe I'd misunderstood him, so I said 'you're going to what?' Kurogane grins at me again and says 'I'm gonna kick his ask!' I realized I'd heard him correctly and I wasn't very happy with his choice of language, but it was just so funny! I tried not to laugh as I said 'that's not very nice'. And Kurogane goes all serious and says 'if he gonna come in here, he gonna kick my ask so I gotta kick his ask!'"

Really, Kurogane thought, the story wasn't all that funny. What was so hilarious about wanting to beat the shit out of an oni? Most people who had encountered an oni wanted to do that. Apparently, everyone else in the room disagreed; most of them were laughing so hard that they were nearly crying, including Fai. Kurogane was sick of these idiots. He'd like to kick all their "asks" now. Then they'd see who'd be laughing. It would be him.

* * *

The second dinner was over, Kurogane stomped back to his room, seething, while Fai trotted alongside him, still chuckling to himself as he recalled some of the highlights from the king and queen's stories. It took every ounce of Kurogane's power not to punch the stupid blond in the stomach. Fai leaned forward to get a closer look at his friend's face.

"Hmm? Are you mad, Kuropin?" he asked playfully.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK?!" Kurogane snapped.

He ripped open his door, marched inside and slammed it shut again even though Fai was still right beside him. Without looking at him, the prince slid down against the wall, folding his arms and glared at the opposite wall, absolutely furious. Fai smiled apologetically, sitting down beside him. Kurogane's face was still bright red from the humiliation he had just suffered. Hesitantly, the blond put his arms around the other boy and pulled him into a hug. Kurogane was about to shove him away but for some reason when Fai began to stroke his hair he changed his mind.

"I'm sorry, Kurochuu," Fai said softly. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings when I laughed at those stories."

Kurogane couldn't see his face since his own was currently buried in Fai's chest but at least his voice sounded sincere. He was still angry, though.

"You didn't have to laugh so hard," he grumbled.

"I know, sorry," Fai repeated, though Kurogane could tell by his voice that he was grinning. "They were just so funny! It's hard to think of Kurosama as ever having been anything but the grumpy big doggy that I know and love."

"Hmph! I'm not a dog!" Kurogane groused.

"But you know, I… I really liked being able to see that side of you, even if it was only through stories," the blond admitted. Kurogane could hear a note of nostalgia in his voice now, and maybe just a hint of shyness. "Thank you for sharing it with me."

The prince was silent; now seemed like an appropriate time to try and keep the promise he had made to his mother before Fai had arrived for dinner that evening but he wasn't sure how he should phrase it. He didn't only want to know Fai's story because of his promise to his mother, though; he felt like there was another reason, even though he wasn't quite sure what that reason was. What he did know for sure was that Fai was keeping something big from him, and that knowledge hurt. Actually, it hurt quite badly. And it made him start to feel angry again.

"Feels pretty good when someone's willing to share with you, doesn't it?" Kurogane said finally, a definite bitter edge in his voice. Fai stopped stroking his hair then, as if surprised by what he had said.

"You're not the only one who feels that way, you know," the prince continued. "People don't like it when you refuse to give anything back when they keep sharing with you. Maybe if you'd quit being so damn selfish you'd notice that."

Fai was clutching the prince's shirt in his fingers tightly now, his forehead resting on Kurogane's shoulder. "I'm… I'm not doing it because I want to make you sad, Kurosama… I'm just… so afraid of what would happen if you knew… I like being able to hold you this way, so… I don't know what I would do if you started hating me…"

Kurogane had to admit that he was surprised; this wasn't the kind of response he had been expecting.

"That would be stupid," he snorted eventually. "Even if I know about something bad you've done, it wouldn't make you a different person. You've turned into who you are now even though you've done that bad thing, and who you are now… isn't _that_ terrible, I guess."

Fai was so shocked to hear the other boy say that out loud that he had to pull away to make sure that this person he was talking to now really was Kurogane.

"You're still annoying as hell, though," Kurogane reminded him quickly. Damn it; he was starting to blush again! But Fai didn't laugh or tease him like he thought he would; he just gave him another one of those sad, sweet smiles and put his arms around him again, pulling him into another hug.

"I'm so glad to hear you say that, Kurotan. Thank you," Fai breathed. _It's sweet, even if you _are_ wrong.

* * *

_

"So, I'm still a little confused," Fai said, removing his shirt. "What do we do now?"

"Beats the hell out of me," Kurogane growled, pulling off his pants. "This is my first time doing this, too, you know."

"I think we have to be in bed," he volunteered.

"Not yet," the prince said. "It's too early for that."

"Why are we getting our pajamas on already, then?" the blond asked, sliding his arms into the sleeves of his pajama shirt.

"We're supposed to. It's some kind of rule or something," Kurogane replied, stepping into his pajama pants.

"Maybe we should go find Tomoyo chan," Fai suggested. "I'm sure she'd be able to tell us what you're supposed to do at a sleepover." (You can all get your minds out of the gutter now, by the way)

"We're _not_ going to ask _her_ for help," Kurogane said firmly. "She'll probably give us some kind of bullshit answer and try to get us to do something weird together."

"Well, if Kurosama won't let us ask for help, then I guess we'll just have to make something up," the other boy mused. "I know! Why don't we play with Kuropun's toys? You have like a million of them."

"I already told you, I'm too old for toys," the prince reminded him.

"Oh, don't be such a party-pooper, Kuromin!" Fai scolded lightly. "You're too young to be saying stuff like that! Anyway, it'll be fun; I promise."

* * *

Lightning flashed and a huge clap of thunder rattled the whole deck of the creaking wooden ship which was already being pelted relentlessly by the driving rain. Violent waves pitched it back and forth, threatening to capsize the boat and leave its crew to take their chances with the treacherous sea. The crew in question consisted of only two people, and neither of them seemed to even notice the danger posed to them by the storm; they had what they considered to be more pressing issues.

"I'll ask ye one more time, Cap'n Wanwan: where be the legendary treasure of Horitsuba?" the blond, one-eyed pirate demanded.

"…"

"Talk, ye miserable cur, or I'll see to it that ye walk the plank!" he shouted threateningly.

"…"

"Very well, I tried to be reasonable but ye've worn me patience thin," the blond pirate sighed, shaking his head. "Any last words before I toss yer useless hide into the sea and let ye be lost to Davy Jones's locker?!"

"…This is stupid," Captain Wanwan said stonily, folding his arms as the other man prodded him in the back with his sword.

"What?! What kind of last words be those?!" the blond roared.

"No, seriously; this is freaking stupid." Captain Wanwan turned smoothly back into Prince Kurogane and the perilous landscape became his bedroom. "Why would you kill the only person in the world who knows the location of this treasure? It doesn't make sense! If you keep them alive, at least there's still a chance that you could torture the information out of them!"

"It doesn't have to make sense, Kuromyuu," Fai explained patiently. "It's only a game."

"Well, it's a stupid game," the prince huffed. "Can't you think of anything better than this?"

Fai frowned slightly for a moment, thinking. Then he clapped his hands. "Ok, I've got it!"

* * *

Giant trees towered overhead, shading the jungle floor from the brilliant rays of tropical sun. Brightly colored flowers burst into bloom everywhere, along with bushes that bore strange, heart-shaped fruits and vines that may or may not actually be deadly snakes waiting to gobble up any unsuspecting monkey that tried to use it to swing from branch to branch. Above the perpetually damp forest floor, various exotic birds could be heard calling noisily to each other in the canopy, some in search of mates, some giving warnings to others to stay the hell away. They squawked indignantly and took flight in a flurry of feathers as a metallic swishing sound disturbed their songs. Two explorers, both dripping with sweat, sporting various cuts and scrapes and bruises battled their way determinedly through the underbrush.

"At last, there it is! The ancient temple of Yasha! And inside, the lost treasure! This is it, Mr. Wankosworth! This is the moment that we've been waiting for all our lives!" the blond explorer cried excitedly, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Doesn't it feel fabulous?!"

"…"

"I said 'doesn't it feel fabulous?!'" the blond explorer repeated, turning to face his companion eagerly. "Oh no! Mr. Wankosworth, you're wounded! It seems that you were hit by one of the poisonous darts from those mean, nasty bunny-natives we encountered! Why didn't you say anything earlier when I asked if you were alright?!"

"…"

"Unless…" The blond clapped his hands to his mouth as a horrible thought. "Unless the poison has already begun to take affect, making it so you can't speak! This… this is just awful! If I don't do something right away, poor Mr. Wankosworth will die!"

"…"

"I believe…Yes, it's the only way! I'll have to sacrifice myself to save him! Oh, how completely selfless of me!"

"…This is stupid," Mr. Wankosworth grumbled.

"What's this?! He can talk again?!" the blond explorer gasped. "Could it be that the poison is wearing off?!"

"…This game doesn't make sense either!" Mr. Wankosworth transformed back into Prince Kurogane and the towering trees of the jungle vanished and the scene went back to being a bedroom again. "How would sacrificing yourself help someone that's been poisoned? And who the hell's ever heard of bunny-natives?"

"I already told you Kuropon, games don't have to make sense!" Fai pouted. "They just have to be fun!"

"This isn't fun; it's lame," Kurogane declared. "I'm not playing anymore."

"You're the one who's being lame, Kurokuro," the boy complained. "I'm just trying to give us something to do and you keep shooting down all my ideas!"

"That's because they suck," the prince said. "Try again."

"Fine, just one more time," Fai agreed. He paused to think, then clapped his hands again. "Ah, this one will be great!"

* * *

It was dark, and the air was thick and musty. The stone walls bore crude pictures, the artwork of the long-dead people who had once inhabited these ruins. A long, narrow stone stairway wound its way down into the seemingly never-ending darkness and was covered with a fine layer of sand that had managed to work its way inside over the years. In the darkness, lingering just out of sight were a multitude of deadly scorpions and spiders, scaling the walls at leisure, their legs making grotesque sounds as they walked. A single flickering light from a tiny lantern bobbed up and down in its owner's hand as the two archaeologists made their way cautiously down the steps, taking care not to slip and go plummeting over the edge to their deaths.

"We've sure been climbing for a long time," the blond scientist commented in a whisper. "Already we've spent two hours on these stairs and there's still no end in sight. What do you make of this, Dr. Woofison? Don't you think this is strange?"

"…"

"You're right, we'd better keep quiet," the blond scientist agreed. "Who knows what kind of ancient monster might be sleeping down here. I wonder if it could be guarding the mythical treasure of King Clow?! Wouldn't that be exciting?!"

"…"

"But I think I'll leave the monster-slaying to you, Dr. Woofison; you're much more cut out for that kind of work than I am! I hope you don't mind."

"…"

"Oh, Dr. Woofison, you're such a joker!" the blond laughed, clapping his partner on the shoulder. Apparently he clapped him a little too hard for he caused himself to loose his balance. The blond scientist shrieked and waved his arms frantically, trying to steady himself but he was already falling. Luckily he managed to grab onto the edge of the stairs. "D-Dr. Woofison! Help!"

"…"

"Wait… Do you hear that?! I think the stairs are beginning to collapse! Quick, you must run, Dr. Woofison! Save yourself!"

"…This game is messed up, too!" Dr. Woofison morphed back into Prince Kurogane and the ruins returned to being a bedroom. "If we'd already been going on the steps for two hours, there's no way that you falling and grabbing onto the edge would make them start to collapse! And a person would have no chance of saving themselves from crumbling stairs if they had to run up that many of them to escape! And why the hell do you keep giving me these weird names?!"

"Kuropon, you messed it up again!" Fai whined. "Just when it was getting to the cool part!"

"And another thing!" Kurogane rambled on. "What the hell is up with your sudden obsession with treasure?! Every game we've played so far has been about treasure!"

"…Have they?" Fai asked, putting a finger to his lower lip as he went over the games they had played. "Hmm, that's funny; I wasn't even trying to do that…"

Actually, he had done it on purpose; Fai was rather preoccupied by his revived need for money. He felt too horrible using Kurogane to get what he wanted and figured it would be better to just go back to collecting coins again. The problem was where to get them; Fai didn't have anywhere near enough. And images of _that_ person wasting away, dying a slow and painful death in utter darkness and filth had been haunting the back of his mind all day. What if those images he kept seeing were actually some sort of premonition? What if _that_ person really was dying?

"Anyway, all your ideas are stupid. So what are we going to do now?" Kurogane demanded.

Fai shook himself out of his daze. "Now _you're_ the one not making sense, Kurorinta! You just said all my ideas were stupid but you want me to come up with another one? I think it's Kuropuu's turn to think of something for us to do."

The prince thought. "Stories," he said finally. "We're going to tell stories."

"…Ok…" Fai said slowly. "What kind of stories should we tell?"

"Tell me one from your home country," Kurogane ordered. "Celes, or whatever it's called."

"A story from Celes?"

Fai had no idea what story to tell. It had been four years since he'd last seen Celes and those four years had been rough ones. There had never been much time for storytelling, so gradually the stories he'd been told as a small child had faded from his memory. Suddenly, Kurogane's voice echoed in the blond's head. _People don't like it when you refuse to give anything back when they keep sharing with you. Maybe if you'd quit being so damn selfish you'd notice that._

Perhaps he could tell Kurogane a part of his story, only he wouldn't tell him that it was his story; he'd say it was a legend in his country or something. That way he wouldn't have to feel guilty about never sharing anything about himself with Kurogane. But Kurogane was sharp when it came to these kinds of things; he might guess that the story was about Fai. It was unlikely, but not impossible. Fai decided that he would have to leave certain bits out, just in case. He would get rid of the worst parts, the most loathsome parts, the parts that still made his own skin crawl. That way, even if Kurogane figured out that the story was about him, he still wouldn't know the things that Fai was sure would cause the prince to despise him.

"Ok…" Fai began. "I thought of one; it's an old legend in my country, one that every child knows."

That was partially true; every child did know part of the story. There was no way they couldn't know if they lived in Celes. It affected their lives every single day.

"Once upon a time, there lived a king and a queen. They wanted to start a family very badly so they tried over and over again to have children but for some reason they kept failing. Finally, one day, to their delight, they found out that the queen was pregnant. The whole country was very happy and they all had a big party to celebrate.

"But when the baby was born, there turned out to be two babies; twin princes. The people of the country considered twin boys to be extremely unlucky and the king and queen were afraid of what might happen if everyone found out. See, even if the babies were unlucky, the king and queen decided that they would still love them both just as much as they would have if they hadn't been twin boys. They created a plan to always keep one boy hidden and since the two babies looked exactly alike, they could switch them off every few days. That way, they wouldn't have to keep one of the babies locked away forever.

"Their plan worked for a long time; for seven years, the twin princes were able to live in the palace with their parents and nothing really unlucky happened during that time. The king and queen began to think that maybe the twins weren't unlucky after all. One day, one of the twins got a cut on his face from falling down. It wasn't a bad cut, so none of them really thought about it much. But one of the king's advisors, a bad guy in disguise, noticed that the cut would disappear when the uninjured twin would come out and reappear again when the injured one was there. He began to wonder if there might be twin princes.

"The advisor did a lot of sneaking around and eventually, he was able to find out for sure that there really were two princes and he announced it to the whole country. People got angry and scared when they heard this and one night they decided to attack the palace to try and kill the twins. The advisor helped with the attack and in the confusion, he managed to kill the king and queen and make it look like an accident. The princes, though, were able to escape the palace and a witch, a good friend of the king and queen helped them to leave the country so that they wouldn't be found.

"No one knows what happened to the princes after that. The bad advisor ended up taking over the throne and being made the new king of the country. He probably searched for the princes for a long time, afraid that they would come back some day and try to take their rightful places and kings of the country. He never ended up finding them, though. No one did. Even today, nobody in that country has any idea where the princes went. The end."

"What? That's the end?!" Kurogane asked. "That's stupid! What kind of ending is that?!"

"Well I can't exactly tell you a better ending if no one knows what happened," Fai pointed out.

"Well, that was dumb," the prince huffed.

"It's your turn to tell a story now, Kuromu," Fai urged.

Kurogane snorted. "I don't feel like it."

"If you didn't feel like telling one, then why did you even suggest doing this?" the blond pouted.

The other boy shrugged. "_I_ got to hear a story."

"You're such a jerk, Kuronpyu!" Fai whined, shoving Kurogane playfully. He was glad, though; Kurogane didn't seem to have any idea that the story he had just heard had any special significance. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"I thought of the story idea," the prince reminded him. "It's your turn to pick."

"Hmm… I feel like doing something naughty," Fai said, smiling mischievously.

Kurogane jumped, his face immediately going red. "H-hold on! I'm not gonna… You can't… We're only kids, dammit! It's too soon to be—"

Fai laughed. "Not that kind of thing, silly! I had something else in mind…"

Kurogane stared at him, looking completely lost. "Like what?"

"This palace has a treasury room, right?" Fai asked, his eyes gleaming hopefully.

"Yeah…" Kurogane replied. "But what's that got to do with—"

"Have you ever been inside?"

Kurogane tried to remember. "…No, I don't think so…"

"Why don't we sneak out of here and go see it?" Fai suggested eagerly. "That would be fun, wouldn't it?"

"Are you freaking serious?!" Kurogane snapped. "I told you before, right?! _Nothing_ gets past my father! If we try to sneak down there, he'll catch us for sure!"

Fai shrugged. "Kurosama's dad is a nice guy; I don't think he'll punish us too badly."

"Maybe not you, but he sure as hell won't let me off the hook!" the prince said.

"Then I guess we'll just have to make sure we don't get caught, huh?" Fai grinned. "Come on, Kuropiko… You're not scared, are you?"

"O-of course not!" Kurogane insisted. "Do I freaking look scared? I'm not scared!"

"Ok, then," the blond said, taking his hand. "Let's go.

* * *

**A/N: **Ah ha! A cliff hanger! Maybe. Kind of… Anyway, on the topic of that story that was told about Kurogane's childhood; it's based on a video my uncle showed me on you tube. Yeah, sorry about being so uncreative with that but when I saw that video, I thought "Wow, that really sounds like something Kurogane might have said as a kid" and I just had to stick it in somewhere. If you don't know what video I'm talking about, just go to you tube and search "kick monsters ask". You really should watch it; it's pretty funny. Well, that's all I have for today. Ciao! 


	21. Reveal

**A/N: **Whee spring break!! Ok, not that exciting. I'm just sitting around at home in lame-ass Wisconsin writing these redonculous fanfics and translating doujinshi and that kind of fun stuff. And this one didn't even turn out right, I don't think, but I'm at a loss for what to do. Been working on the damn thing for two weeks and it just keeps on seeming funky… But on the bright side, we finally find out in this chapter who Fai is so anxious to save. That's good, right? Ok, enough yacking; lets get cracking!

* * *

**Reveal**

Fai very carefully eased Kurogane's bedroom door open a crack and peeked through. The hallway beyond was dark and silent.

"Hold on," Kurogane said, pushing the door closed again so that he could have Fai's undivided attention. "Before we do this, which by the way, I still think is a really stupid idea 'cause we're gonna get caught, I should probably warn you: this palace is a totally different place at night."

Fai tilted his head cutely in puzzlement. "Mm? What do you mean, Kuropon?"

"I mean…" The prince hesitated, trying to decide the best way to explain. "The night watch guys are known for being… weird."

Fai smiled and waved aside his worries. "You're just trying to scare me, Kurotan. It's not going to work; I've already made up my mind. Besides, how would you know that?"

"Tch. Like I've never tried to sneak out before," Kurogane snorted. "And I'm not making it up! It's true!"

"Well, of course you would say that since you're afraid to go," the blond teased.

"I TOLD YOU ALREADY, I'M NOT AFRAID!!" Kurogane snapped. "I was just warning you, that's all!"

"Why?" Fai asked sweetly. "Are you worried about me?"

"Why the hell would I worry about an idiot like you?!" he retorted, though Fai could see a blush coming to his cheeks. "Jeez! Fine, I'll never warn you about anything ever again! But if we happen to run into any weird shit going on out there it's completely your fault!"

Fai laughed and turned back to the door, easing it open to check the hallway again. Still, he couldn't help being curious about what Kurogane was afraid they would see.

"The coast is clear," Fai whispered. "I'll follow your lead, Kurosama."

Kurogane gritted his teeth, thinking that it was stupid that he had to lead the way when he didn't even want any part of this. But Fai couldn't lead since he had no idea where the treasury room was, so Kurogane had no choice. Besides, if Kurogane refused, Fai would probably make another stupid comment about him being too afraid. His telling Fai that the treasury room would be locked when they got there would most likely elicit a similar response. This was so stupid, allowing himself to be dragged into a quest where he knew their desired outcome was impossible. But what could he do? Nothing; not a damn thing.

The two of them slipped out into the hallway and crept along it, going at a crouch, as if that would reduce their chances of being caught. Once they reached the intersection, Kurogane motioned Fai behind a large potted plant, then paused, listening carefully for any signs of life beyond their corridor. When he heard nothing, he peeked out and scanned the area with his eyes. There was no one there. Kurogane jerked his head towards the empty hallway as a sign for Fai to follow and continued on. The lack of guards so far was starting to unnerve him slightly. Had something happened? Not only had they not met anyone, but they couldn't hear anyone either. 

The boys were just about to turn down their next hallway when their ears were met with some rather strange and disturbing noises. It startled Kurogane so badly that he jumped about a foot in the air. Fai was too busy trying to discern the source of the noises to tease him about being so jumpy. There was hard breathing, a thud, some smacking sounds, and a strange little squeak followed by some distressed whispers. Someone, probably more than one someone, was in the hallway that they needed to pass through and they were making a fair bit of noise. No thief would dare to be so loud, would they? Not only that, but as they cautiously approached the hallway, they noticed lantern light, too.

"R-Rikuo, stop that!" a panicked voice hissed. "Not here! Wh-wh-what if someone…!"

"Who's gonna be wandering around at this hour?" a second voice growled in a husky tone. "I made sure we'd be the only ones guarding this wing just for this purpose. It was a hassle to do and I'm not gonna let my effort go to waste. Honestly, Kazahaya; you worry way too much." The smacking noises resumed. Kurogane and Fai traded shocked expressions.

"They sound pretty busy," Fai breathed, a grin spreading across his face. "I think we can sneak past them. Besides, I wanna see what's going on; it sounds interesting!"

As soon as these words left his mouth, there was another little squeak and the sound of something lightweight, most likely cloth, hitting the floor, somehow dimming the light from the lantern. Fai's grin widened and he turned into the hallway where all the noise was coming from. Kurogane, horrified, lunged after him, trying to jerk him back, but he missed Fai's arm and the boy quickly slipped past the point of safe return. The prince clenched his teeth again in frustration and hurried to catch up with his friend. 

Fai looked back at him, his face full of silent laughter as he pointed to two figures at the end of the hall. One, a tall, dark-haired guard had the other figure, a shorter, slenderer, light-haired guard pinned against the wall. Kazahaya squirmed in half-hearted protest, his shirt draped, discarded, over the lantern, dimming the light. Rikuo was nipping and kissing his neck, moving downwards slowly, his hands running along Kazahaya's exposed skin. Kurogane and Fai were mesmerized by the scene that was unfolding before them. When Rikuo's mouth reached the other guard's nipple and drew a third little squeak out of Kazahaya, Kurogane snapped back to attention. The prince covered Fai's eyes and ushered him away.

Once they were sure they were well out of earshot of the guards, Kurogane turned to the blond with a scowl, his arms folded. "That's the kind of thing I was trying to warn you about! I _told_ you this place got screwed up at night!"

"Kuromin tried to shelter me… That's really sweet of you," Fai breathed, his eyes sparkling.

"W-well, if I hadn't pulled you away, you would have just stood there, staring like a moron!" Kurogane hissed, his face turning scarlet. "I'm not gonna let us get caught because of something stupid like that!"

"Kuroryun tried to protect my virtue…"

"Shut up!"

"It makes me so happy!" Fai pounced on him, knocking the prince to the ground and locking him into an iron-grip hug.

"G-get off!" Kurogane choked, trying in vain to pry the blond off of him. "We-we're being too loud! Are you _trying_ to get us caught?!"

"Eh? Who's there?" a man's distant voice demanded.

"Shit!" the prince gasped.

There was a long pause in which Kurogane jerked Fai beneath a little decorative table to hide in case the man came to see who was making so much noise. Apparently, whoever it was wrote their antics off as a figment of his imagination because there were no further questions. Once Kurogane was sure that the person had given up on them, he let out a little sigh of relief and wiped sweat from his forehead.

"Pull something like that again, and I'll kill you with my bare hands," Kurogane said in a deadly whisper.

"You're still blushing!" Fai giggled, poking the other boy's flushed cheek unconcernedly.

The prince swatted the blond's hands away, scowling darkly, and continued on towards the treasury room. Fai followed closely, his head turning this way and that as he scanned the hallways they passed for any more unusual action. They were nearing the treasury room now; Kurogane felt a wave of warm sweeping relief. The sooner they could give up this pointless little venture, the better. 

Suddenly, Fai grabbed Kurogane's arm, causing him to jump again. He whipped around to face his companion to see the blond pointing down a side passage from which an odd green light was emanating, dancing along the walls. It was accompanied by some rather sinister-sounding muttering. Even though the hallway from which it came was not one that they needed to pass through, Kurogane allowed himself to be steered towards it by a curious Fai. Cautiously, the two of them peeked around the corner.

A guard with an unnaturally lanky body, glasses, and smooth black hair that stuck out in a few odd places was squatting in the middle of the hallway, tending what appeared to be a cauldron hanging over green flames. Kurogane's first thought was that the palace was on fire and that he needed to warn everyone, but then he saw that the flames seemed to be contained in some kind of portable stone fire pit. The contents of the cauldron bubbled sluggishly and appeared to be as green as the fire that heated it. The dancing green light shone on the guard's face, making him look extra menacing.

"Heh heh… this'll teach that jerk Doumeki to steal the special food that I've made for Himawari chan," he cackled. "A few drops of this laxative potion in his lunch and he'll never touch another one of my dishes ever again! Heh heh heh… he'll look like such a moron, having to run to the bathroom every five minutes! Serves him right, that gluttonous bastard!"

Kurogane and Fai traded looks of bewilderment, then shrugged. They both silently agreed that they'd rather not know exactly what was going on there and that they'd prefer not to find out if the guard's potion would end up working. The two of them had enough to worry about without getting involved in such underhanded battles of love and war and laxative potions. Kurogane tugged on Fai's pajama shirt and pointed towards a rather nondescript little door. The blond looked at the door, then back at his friend, a slight look of disbelief on his face.

"_That's it?_" Fai mouthed.

Kurogane nodded. Fai approached it carefully and turned the doorknob. The prince watched in mild amusement as Fai's face fell. He tried it again. Fai could try the stupid door all night long. It wasn't going to open; the thing was locked up tight. Fai let out a little huff of disappointment and folded his arms. Kurogane snorted derisively and began to lead the way back to his room, but the blond stopped him.

"Don't you have a key or something?" he pouted.

"Why the hell would my parents give _me_ the key to the treasury room?!" Kurogane hissed. "Anyway, you weren't really expecting it to just be left open, were you?"

"I don't know…" he replied sheepishly. "I guess I just didn't think about it…"

"Tch. Idiot," the prince grumbled, rolling his eyes. "I was gonna tell you that it would be locked, but you would've just said that I was afraid again so I decided not to."

Fai looked put out but at the same time, he felt just a tiniest bit of relief. He had been planning to swipe a few coins from the treasury to further his cause. But the thought of stealing from Kurogane's family, even if they did have plenty of money, made him feel terrible. They had done so much for him already, letting him stay here, feeding him, giving him a job… it seemed much too cruel to stab them in the back like that. At the same time, though, if he chose not to steal, the only other means of helping _that_ person that Fai could think of would be to use Kurogane. Surely that would be much worse, right? Suddenly, Fai noticed Kurogane watching him curiously and he slipped his pout back on. "So we're just gonna go back to Kurokuro's room, then? That's no fun!"

Kurogane paused, thinking. He didn't really feel like going back to his room yet either and since they were already out, maybe… He had to redeem himself, he decided, after trying to refuse to go visit the treasury room. Fai probably still thought he was a chicken. Maybe if he suggested that they go somewhere else, somewhere more dangerous, Fai would change his mind. But where could they go? There really weren't that many dangerous places in the palace. Except for…

Kurogane turned to face Fai, a mischievous grin on his face. "We could go see the prison."

Fai looked stunned. "I…I don't know if that's such a good idea, Kuropin," he laughed nervously. "I mean…we…There'll be lots more guards there, right? We'd be caught for sure!"

Actually, Fai had other reasons for not wanting to go to the jail. Someone he knew was in there: _that_ person. It wasn't that Fai didn't want to see _that_ person; he really did, very badly. The problem was that he had no way of warning _that_ person ahead of time not to show any signs of recognition towards him in front of Kurogane. That would lead to some awkward questions. But he did want to see how _that_ person was doing. Now that he thought about it, this was a perfect opportunity to check on him. But what could he do about Kurogane?

"Forget it," Kurogane said, interrupting his thoughts. "You dragged me all the way out here, now it's my turn to pick where we go. _You're_ not scared now, are you?"

The prince was wearing a very self-satisfied smirk, his arms crossed, waiting for Fai to give his response.

Fai hitched his own smile back into place. "Ok then; let's go."

Kurogane looked surprised that Fai had agreed, but eventually returned his grin.

"We should probably look at it from outside, though, right?" Fai asked. "I think we'll be less likely to run into guards out there than if we go right into the jail itself. Do the cells have windows?"

"Just little ones," Kurogane replied.

"So we can go and peek in at the prisoners, then," the blond whispered. "Hee hee! This will be so exciting!"

Kurogane silently wondered if they would be alright outside at night without coats or shoes. As warm as it had been during the daytime, the weather could get pretty chilly at night. Then he realized what a wimp he was being and quickly shook the thoughts from his head. He wasn't going to be the one to suggest that they go back for coats; if Fai could handle the temperatures outside in his pajamas, then so could he. Besides, they probably wouldn't be out there for that long.

"Do you know of a way we can get out without attracting any attention?" Fai asked, this time interrupting _his_ thoughts.

"Yeah, out the servant's quarters," Kurogane hissed, starting to lead the way again. "Tomoyo and I use that door all the time."

After they had walked for a moment in silence, Fai grabbed his arm suddenly, making him jump again. Kurogane whipped around to face him, and saw him frozen with his head tilted to the side, one ear in the air, listening intently. Then he heard it, too; footsteps and voices, and they were headed their way. Without pausing to think, Kurogane grabbed Fai around the waist and darted into a side hallway. As he made to push the blond behind another large potted plant, Kurogane tripped, bringing Fai down with him and pinning him to the ground with his body. Frantically, the prince snatched his friend up and scrambled behind the plant, clutching Fai tightly to his chest, trying to stifle his own loud breathing by burying his face in Fai's shirt.

"Right, I'll notify the king about our decision first thing in the morning," a man's voice said as the party trooped past the boys' hiding spot.

A second man sighed. "I'm glad we got that straightened out; I don't think I could've made it through another all-day session."

"I'm afraid we're not in the clear just yet," a third male voice told the others. Fai recognized it as belonging to Fujitaka. "Now that we've agreed to sign the treaty, there'll be a banquette to plan for the other king in honor of our newly formed alliance."

"I hate those stupid banquettes," a fourth man complained. "Can't we just sign the damn treaty and be done with it? Why do we have to make a big deal out of it? And why the hell do _we_ have to be the ones to host it when it was the other bastard who proposed the treaty in the first place?"

Finally, the voices faded into the distance and the hallways became silent again. Kurogane sighed and leaned back against the wall, relieved that they hadn't been caught. Such was his relief that he even forgot that he was still holding Fai against him until he felt slender fingers begin playing with the buttons on his pajama shirt. He looked down in horror to see Fai look up from fiddling with his buttons and grin at him. Then he pressed his ear against Kurogane's chest.

"Poor Kuropiko; you were really scared, weren't you?" Fai cooed soothingly. "Your heart is pounding like a frightened little bunny's!"

He reached up and began to stroke Kurogane's hair. "There, there, Kuropin…don't be afraid. I'm here for you…"

Kurogane blushed and hurriedly shoved Fai away. "Shut up! You were scared, too, you bastard!" he hissed furiously.

"A little," Fai admitted, still looking amused. "But I knew that Kuropuu would protect me so I wasn't too afraid."

"Hmph!" Kurogane huffed, dusting himself off and starting to lead again.

* * *

Damn, it was freezing outside. It was so cold that Kurogane could see his breath, and already, his toes were starting to go numb. He glanced over at Fai to see if the blond was as cold as he was. Fai seemed not to notice the chill; he merely smiled patiently back at him, waiting for him to show him where to find the prison windows. Kurogane shivered and rubbed his hands on his arms to warm himself and let out a little breath of annoyance, irritated that Fai wasn't suffering as much as he was.

"I guess this probably feels pretty cold to Kuromin, huh?" Fai said thoughtfully. "And look at poor Kurochii shivering! Maybe we should have stopped to get our coats first, hmm?"

"I can handle it," Kurogane mumbled, not looking at him. Fai took his arm and held it against his body.

"I know it's not much, but please accept my warmth," he offered sweetly, nuzzling his cheek against the taller boy's shoulder. Kurogane's face flushed, but he didn't pull his arm away.

"L-look," he stammered, pointing to a narrow barred window at ground level.

The two of them crouched down and peeked inside. A boy of about fifteen with messy brown hair and mismatched eyes was sitting on the meager bunk, staring blankly at the opposite wall below the window, his hands and face stained with blood. Kurogane and Fai looked at each other and backed away from the window.

"Creepy," Fai said with a shudder, even though he was still smiling. "I wonder what he got brought in for."

"Did you s-see all that blood on him?" Kurogane asked, still shivering, trying not to let on how rattled he was. "It was p-probably murder."

"I bet you're right…" he agreed. Then he moved over to the next window and knelt down before it. "I wonder who's in this one."

The two of them bent down to look and both of them gasped when they saw glowing eyes staring back at them. They belonged to a strange-looking girl with short uneven pink hair and weird close-fitting clothes. The girl watched the two boys peering into her window with expressionless eyes. Even though she seemed to be aware of them, she didn't say a word, something that Kurogane and Fai both found strange but were thankful for all the same.

"That was weird," Fai remarked, standing up again. "Did you see the way her eyes were glowing? I wonder if she's some kind of magician or something…"

"Maybe," Kurogane replied disinterestedly, blowing into his cupped hands to warm them.

"Next one!" Fai chirped, kneeling down to have a look in the next window.

Kurogane didn't kneel down next to him; he was already freezing and the grass was probably wet. He was pretty sure that getting the knees of his pajama pants wet wasn't going to help him feel any warmer. The prince shivered again and rubbed his hands on his arms faster. Kurogane was so cold that he didn't even care about looking at criminals anymore; he just wanted to go back inside and get under his covers. Of course, he wasn't about to suggest this to Fai; not when he had just got done proving that he wasn't a chicken. He wasn't going to throw that away and let Fai think he was a pansy instead.

"Anything interesting in there?" he asked through clenched teeth to keep his teeth from chattering.

Fai stood and brushed himself off. "There's a fat guy with a funny mustache," the other boy shrugged. "That's kind of interesting, right?"

"Whatever," Kurogane grumbled.

Fai noticed Kurogane's loss of interest and looked at him concernedly. "Are you really cold, Kurosama? Do you want to go inside?"

"Tch! What do you think I am, some kind of baby?!" the prince snapped. "If you can stand it, then so can I!"

"But I lived outside for a long time," Fai reminded him, "so I'm used to the cold. Are you sure you don't want to go in?"

"I said I'm fine!" Kurogane insisted. 

Fai threw him one last look of concern and then moved to the next window. He started when he saw the small figure huddled in the corner of the cell, knees drawn up to the chest, face buried in the arms, extremely long dirty blond hair cascading over the shoulders. Fai gasped, causing the prisoner to look up and echo his gasp. There, right in front of him, was _that_ person; there was Fai, the real Fai! But if Fai had been shocked to see the top of his twin's head, it was nothing to what he felt when he saw his face. His cheeks were sallow and sunken in and his eyes were dull and sunken in as well. It wasn't just his face that was emaciated, Fai realized; his whole body was far too skinny. He looked like a skeleton with long hair.

"Y-Yuui…" the prisoner stuttered. "Is it really you? I thought you were…I mean, our magic…"

Fai (AKA Yuui) shook his head frantically to silence him and the prisoner stopped mid-sentence, looking puzzled.

"_I'll be back_," the free boy mouthed, a pained expression on his face. "_Later_."

The prisoner continued to look confused, wondering why they couldn't talk now.

"H-hey," Kurogane interrupted. "Who are you t-talking—ha…ha choo!"

"No one, _Ouji_wanko," Fai said quickly, throwing a last meaningful glance at his incarcerated twin before standing up. 

"Liar," Kurogane said, sniffling and rubbing his nose. "I heard you…Ha choo!"

Fai frowned. He really hadn't said anything. Kurogane must have heard his twin talking and mistaken it for his voice. "I…I thought this prisoner was someone I knew, but it looks like I was wrong… I think we'd better go inside now; it sounds like Kuropyon might be getting a cold."

"Am not," the prince mumbled, rubbing his nose again and continuing to shiver. "I don't get sick."

"Of course you don't, Kurowanwan," Fai said gently, taking his arm again. "Come on, now."

Kurogane glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow as Fai led him inside. "I thought you said you weren't cold."

"…Mm? No, I'm not cold," Fai replied distractedly.

"Then how come you're shaking?" he growled.

The blond bowed his head, but didn't reply. The reason he was shaking was because his twin had looked like he was on the verge of death just now and Fai knew that it was entirely his fault. If he hadn't been such a coward, if he had just done what he was supposed to, the one whose name he had borrowed wouldn't be wasting away in that miserable cell. He could feel Kurogane's inquisitive eyes on him but to his relief, he didn't ask anymore questions. 

After a moment of silence, the prince pulled his arm away from Fai, who had been hugging it to help keep his friend warm. The blond felt a jolt of pain at this but it was eased when he realized that Kurogane had only done this so that he could take his hand and hold it comfortingly. If Fai hadn't been so busy feeling guilty for what he had inadvertently done to his twin, he might have had the presence of mind to notice that this was the first time that Kurogane had ever initiated the hand-holding.

* * *

The two of them sighed with relief when they had managed to arrive safely back in Kurogane's bedroom and shut the door quietly behind them. Kurogane sat down on the floor and Fai made to follow his example, but stopped himself. The prince watched him questioningly as he crossed the room silently, took a blanket from the bed, and brought it back to wrap it around the other boy's shoulders. Although Kurogane said nothing, he was rather grateful to Fai for this. He had managed to warm up some since they had come back inside but he still couldn't feel his toes. Fai sat down beside him and laid his head against his shoulder.

"Hey," Kurogane said eventually, "what were you saying back there to that prisoner? Something about magic…"

Fai started, horrified. He thought Kurogane wasn't going to ask him any questions about what had happened back there! Kurogane was watching him now closely, his eyes narrowed in suspicion as he saw Fai's reaction to his question. Desperately, Fai slapped his smile back on.

"…I didn't mean _real_ magic, of course," he answered, feigning casualness. "But I… Well, that prisoner looked like someone I know and… the two of us used to have fun learning easy little magic tricks together."

Kurogane stared at him, looking mostly unconvinced by Fai's improvised lie.

"You look like you don't believe me," the blond pouted. "You think I'm totally suspicious, don't you?"

"Yep," Kurogane answered simply.

"But it's true!" Fai insisted. "I'll even show you some! Do you have a coin I can borrow?"

Kurogane went to his dresser and pulled out a small gold coin. He returned to Fai, dropped it into his hands and folded his arms, watching expectantly. Fai turned the coin over absentmindedly in his slender fingers. Maybe he'd be able to divert Kurogane's attention when the magic trick was over so that he could pocket it. It would certainly help; this gold coin was worth quite a bit more than the silver ones he had collected so far. Besides, of the two of them, Fai was pretty sure he needed this coin a lot more than Kurogane did.

"Hey, are you gonna do the damn trick or what?" Kurogane asked, snapping Fai back into the present.

"Oh, right." Fai shook his head and slipped his smile back on. "Now you see it…" He held the coin up between his fingers so that Kurogane could see it clearly. Then he moved it down into his palm and squeezed his hand into a fist. When he opened his fist again, his hand was empty. "Now you don't!"

Kurogane looked momentarily surprised, but then he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Stand up," he ordered. Fai obeyed and the prince checked the floor around where Fai had been sitting to see if he had just dropped the coin somewhere. When he didn't find it, he frowned.

"Open your mouth."

Fai opened his mouth. The coin wasn't there either. He plunged his hands into Fai's pockets feeling around for something metallic but they were empty. Kurogane let out a little breath in frustration, looking confused.

"Where is it, then?"

Fai grinned and leaned forward, allowing his fingers to skim the prince's cheek lightly as he reached behind Kurogane's ear.

"Silly Kurowanta," he giggled. "It was behind your ear the whole time and you didn't even notice!"

Kurogane blinked in surprise. He felt around behind his ear to see if there were any more coins lurking there. "How the hell…?"

"Magic," Fai answered smugly. "Pretty cool trick, huh?"

The prince stared at him uncertainly, looking mostly unconvinced. "This wasn't seriously what you were talking about to that guy back at the jail, was it? I mean, from the look on your face, it seemed like you hadn't seen this person in a long time so… why would the first words out of your mouth to him be about pointless little magic tricks like this?"

"We used to really have a lot of fun learning them together and doing them for our friends," Fai lied quickly. "I mean, you don't think I can do real magic, do you?"

"Hmph," Kurogane snorted doubtfully. "Show me another one."

"Ok… For this one, I'll need a handkerchief," Fai said.

Kurogane went back to his dresser and dug a white one out of one of the drawers. While he was busy doing this, Fai slipped the coin from his last trick into his pocket; surely a prince wouldn't miss one lousy coin. Kurogane brought his handkerchief back to Fai. Fai unfolded it and made a circle shape with his fingers.

"Watch; there's nothing else in my hand, right?" he asked, pulling the handkerchief through the circle of his fingers to prove it. 

Then he poked the bottom half of the handkerchief into his closed fist and tugged it out through the bottom. The top half of the white handkerchief was still sticking out from the top of his fist, and the bottom half was sticking out from the bottom, only it had turned bright blue instead of being white. Fai looked up at Kurogane with a grin, giggling a little at the prince's look of surprise. He pulled the handkerchief all the way out through the bottom of his fist and revealed it now to be completely blue.

"How do you like that one, Kuronta?" Fai asked with a smile. Without waiting for an answer, he performed the trick again, this time turning the handkerchief red, then yellow, then green and back to white again. "Bet you wish you could do it, too, huh?"

Kurogane was dumbstruck. "Hold out your hand," he said eventually. Fai held out his hand and let Kurogane examine it as he tried to figure out how the trick worked. To the prince's disappointment, he found no answers there.

"Do another one," Kurogane demanded, pouting slightly.

Fai paused to think, then a mischievous smile spread across his lips. "I've got a good one."

Kurogane recoiled slightly, noticing the smile on Fai's face. 

Fai laughed. "No need to look so worried, Kuronpyu! I won't do anything bad to you!"

Kurogane didn't look convinced.

"I've never actually done this trick before, but it's supposed to feel really nice," the blond purred. "Kneel down in front of me and close your eyes."

"N-no way!" he sputtered. "You'll do something weird!"

Fai smiled softly, taking one of Kurogane's hands between both of his. "Trust me, Kuropii. Please?" The expression on the blond's face and in his eyes was so sweet and gentle that even though Kurogane told himself he had to resist him, he could feel himself being won over. The prince hesitated, then slowly knelt down and closed his eyes. He felt Fai put his hands on his cheeks and himself blushing slightly at the touch. Kurogane began to open his eyes.

"No peeking, Kuromin!" Fai scolded. 

He shut them again. Kurogane's heart was beating faster now; what was Fai going to do to him? Would it hurt? Fai had said it would feel good but that smile he had worn when he'd thought of the trick made Kurogane highly suspicious.

Suddenly, something soft and warm touched his lips gently. Kurogane's eyes snapped open involuntarily. Fai's face was mere centimeters from his, his eyes closed. What in the world…? Was… Could this be what he thought it was? It had to be, right? There was no other explanation! The warmth and pressure against his mouth increased a little, pulled away, then increased again. 

A kiss! Fai was kissing him! Kurogane could feel his face burning. That utter bastard! He was going to kick his ass! He was going to kill him! He was going to… kiss him back? What the hell?! That wasn't what he wanted to do! …But if it wasn't what he wanted to do, then why was his heart beating so fast? Why did the sensation of Fai's lips against his seem to feel like real magic? Why did he suddenly feel himself wishing that this moment could last forever?

Eventually, Fai pulled away, his hand drifting to his lips absentmindedly. He had kissed Kurogane partly to mess with him, and partly to make him forget about that comment back at the prison about his magic (which had actually been spoken by his twin). He had to make Kurogane fall for him, in order to save the real Fai, but…Fai's heart was aching. He hadn't meant for the kiss to be anything special so why had it felt so wonderful? 

And now that he saw that misty, amorous look in Kurogane's eyes, the delicate blush across his cheeks… why did it make him feel like he had done something terrible? Fai didn't need to ask himself that question; he already knew the answer. It was because Kurogane's love for him was pure and innocent and without a selfish hidden agenda and Fai was toying with it, kicking it in the mud as though it was nothing but trash. 

"I…I'm sorry, Kurosama; I… I shouldn't have…" The words _I'm so selfish_ echoed in his head over and over again and before he knew it, his eyes were brimming with tears.

"I'll say you shouldn't have," Kurogane mumbled, his blush deepening. "Don't just kiss people without any warning, idiot."

An awkward silence hung on the air between them.

"Maybe we should go to bed now," Kurogane suggested.

Fai hesitated. He knew that if he crawled into that bed next to Kurogane and felt his warm body snuggled up beside him, and watched him slowly drift off to sleep, his mind filled with bliss and hopefulness for a beautiful romance with him, he wouldn't be able to take it. Kurogane might even try to hold him. That would break Fai's heart for sure. And yet for some unimaginable reason, he found himself wishing it would happen. No, that was out of the question; it would just be way too cruel to the prince. He tried to say that maybe it would be best if he just went back to Fujitaka's room and forget about sleeping over but his lips refused to form the words.

Kurogane turned off the light and turned to go to his bed when he noticed that Fai hadn't moved. He paused uncertainly before going to kneel in front of the other boy. The prince reached out hesitantly and touched Fai's shoulder. It shook uncontrollably beneath his fingers. Fai quickly bowed his head, biting his lip as he tried to keep his tears from falling. Why did it always have to be the ones he loved who always had to pay for his self-centeredness and cowardice? First his parents, then his twin, and now Kurogane… He was disgusted with himself.

"Hey…" the prince said with uncharacteristic gentleness. "What's up? You're shaking again…"

Fai opened his mouth, trying to tell him that he couldn't stay, but the words simply wouldn't come. His breathing quickened in his distress and even Fai himself could hear the suppressed emotion behind it. Obviously Kurogane heard it too because he suddenly looked uncomfortable. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to decide what to do to comfort Fai. This sort of thing really wasn't his strong point; Kurogane had never had to console anyone before and seeing his usually cheerful friend's normal defenses come crumbling as he watched disturbed him more deeply than he thought it should have.

"Come on," Kurogane prompted, helping Fai to his feet and half dragging him over to the bed. 

When Fai refused to lie down, Kurogane heaved a sigh, swept him easily off his feet and deposited him unceremoniously on the bed. Fai told himself that he had to stop this, that he couldn't let Kurogane hold and comfort him, that he couldn't let himself actually fall for the prince but even as he told himself these things, he realized he was fighting a losing battle. Somewhere along the way when he had been trying to make Kurogane fall for him, he had fallen rather seriously for Kurogane. Of all the stupid, careless things to do, this had to be the worst.

Kurogane climbed into bed beside him and stared at the blond's back, which was facing him. The prince's heart was in turmoil. He was sure that Fai was crying, or at least on the verge of tears and he felt the overwhelming need to do something for him. The only question was what. What could he possibly say to comfort him? He didn't even know what Fai was so upset about. Was he afraid that Kurogane was mad at him for that kiss? Well, he certainly should be mad at him, but for some reason he wasn't…at all. In fact, when he thought about what had happened, that he and Fai had actually kissed, he found his heart suddenly feeling light as a feather.

"Jeez…" Kurogane grumbled, feigning irritation. "Just come here, you idiot."

Without waiting for Fai to respond, the prince forced the other boy to turn towards him, wrapped his arms around the little blond and pulled him close. When Fai suddenly found his cheek against Kurogane's warm, solid body, his breath caught in his chest. He could hear Kurogane's heart pounding, excited yet terrified, as his hand began to slowly stroke Fai's golden hair. No! He needed to push Kurogane away! But Fai couldn't make himself do it. It felt good to be held like this when his heart was broken and it felt like there was no one in the whole world that he could turn to. Instead of pushing Kurogane away, Fai returned the nervous embrace, finally allowing his tears to fall as he buried his face in his friend's shoulder.

Even though Kurogane took no pleasure in Fai's pain, he found that being able to hold him this way felt almost as magical as their kiss had. He ran his fingers slowly through Fai's hair, relishing the feeling of the silky strands against his palm. His hair smelled nice, as though it had been freshly washed. Hesitantly, the prince kissed the top of Fai's head. For some reason, him kissing the top of the blond's head drew a little sob out of Fai. He tried it again experimentally and again Fai whimpered.

"P-please don't…Kurosama…" he begged. "I…I don't deserve you…S-so please…"

"You don't like it…?" Kurogane asked faintly.

"I…I didn't say that," Fai admitted through his tears, sniffling. "It's just…I'm so…Y-you're not making it any easier f-for…"

Kurogane silenced him by pulling away slightly and lifting Fai's chin gently so that he could meet his anguished eyes. As soon as ruby met sapphire, Kurogane was overwhelmed by the sudden desire to kiss the other boy and he gently pressed their lips together again. Fai's lips tasted slightly salty from his tears, yet somehow just as sweet as they had been the first time he had experienced them. Fai pulled away with a gasp, trembling uncontrollably.

"Don't… Y-you don't want… to g-get involved with me…" he insisted.

"Stop saying crap like that! I _do_ want to get involved with you!" Kurogane snarled, shaking him by the shoulders. "I love you!"

The prince stopped, stunned by his own confession. He hadn't been planning to say it, hadn't even known that was how he'd felt, but now that the words had left his mouth, he realized it was true. It being true didn't stop his face from glowing red like the setting sun.

Fai gripped his friend's shirt in his fingers. "N-no…"

"Yes!" he said fiercely. "I love you! I love you…"

He kissed Fai again, more forcefully this time. Once they'd broken apart, Fai heaved a sigh as he nestled his cheek against the prince's chest.

"…Kuromin…Why d-do you have to be s-so wonderful?" he mumbled.

Kurogane couldn't resist smirking slightly at that. The next time he looked down at the blond, he was fast asleep in his arms.

* * *

**A/N: **So there it is. Are you surprised? Usually my fics end when they've confessed to each other but not this one! Hah!

Ahem… It also looks like this'll be a little longer than I had anticipated; maybe two or three more chapters. So those'll be up sometime. Ta ta for now!


	22. Gaucherie

**A/N: **I bet you didn't expect to hear from me so soon! Of course, the second my stupid spring break ends, I'm able to write again. Why does it always have to work this way? Anyway, I guess I'll define "gaucherie" for you and then we can kick it. Here it is from the Oxford Pocket American Dictionary of Current English. **Gaucherie **/gosheree/ _n._ **1 **an action that is socially awkward or tactless. **2 **gauche manners. Um-kay, so here it is.

* * *

**Gaucherie**

Kurogane didn't end up getting much sleep that night, just as his mother had predicted. Every time he would manage to drift off, something in his dreams would remind him that he had the sweet little blond curled up asleep in his arms and he would awaken to drink in Fai's beauty a bit longer. Fai, it seemed, wasn't having such a restful night either; when he wasn't stirring fitfully, his brow was at least crinkled in distress, apparently due to unpleasant dreams. Kurogane did his best to hold him close, stroke his hair and kiss him in hopes of consoling him. But it seemed that Fai's dreams had brought him to a place so dark and ugly that no soft touch or comforting word from Kurogane could hope to bring him back without waking him.

Even though Kurogane knew that this was nothing personal against him, he couldn't help feeling angry. Someone had done this to Fai; someone had scarred him like this so that he couldn't even escape his agony in sleep. When the prince found out who that person was, he swore to himself that he would kill them. And he would enjoy doing it, too. He might even chuckle to himself.

The next time Kurogane opened his eyes, it was morning. Merry rays of sunlight were peeking in through gaps in his curtains and falling across Fai's golden hair so that it shined brilliantly, making him look even more angelic than usual. Not only that, but Fai was snuggled up close to him, his lips resting warm and perfect against the prince's collarbone. Kurogane didn't dare move for fear of waking him or breaking the contact between them, thinking that he might be the luckiest boy alive. To his disappointment, he was only able to relish the feeling for about five minutes before Fai awoke on his own. The blond rubbed the sleep from his eyes and smiled sadly at him.

"You're still here…I was hoping maybe this had all been a dream," he sighed. "Just an amazingly sweet dream…"

Kurogane sat up and folded his arms, pouting. "Why? If you don't like me then just say it! Enough screwing around and pretending!"

"I _do_ like you, Kurotan. I _love_ you," Fai admitted, sitting up beside him. "But we can't do this; it's dangerous."

"Why the hell not?! Whatever the reason is, I'm not afraid of it!" Kurogane growled. "If anyone tries to hurt you, I'll kill them!"

"It's not me I'm worried about," the blond whispered, looping his arms around Kurogane's shoulders and laying his head against the other boy's chest. "It's you… If anything ever happened to you, Kuropin, I don't know what I'd do…"

"Quit being dumb!" Kurogane said scathingly. "I can take care of myself! Nothing bad is gonna happen! Not to you, not to me, not to anyone! Even if it does, it won't be because we're together!"

Fai looked up at him, his sapphire eyes sparkling with hope and love. Kurogane spoke with such conviction and the feeling he had for the prince was so strong that he found himself completely believing his promises. What could happen, really? Those things that had happened to his family had been purely circumstantial; those things would have happened to anyone in those situations, right? Besides, Kurogane was much more prepared and equipped to defend himself than any of them had been.

"…You promise, Kurorin?" Fai asked.

Kurogane stared back at him, dumbstruck for a moment that Fai was actually going to allow a romance between them, then grinned and shoved the other boy back down on the bed.

"I promise," he breathed, kissing his lips passionately.

"Mmm," Fai said happily. "Promises sealed with a kiss from Kurosama taste so good! I can't wait to tell all the entertainer girls that Oujiwanko and I are official now!"

Kurogane sat bolt upright, blushing crimson. "Wh-what?! You can't! Don't you dare tell those guys anything!"

The blond laughed and pushed Kurogane's nose like a button. "If you're trying to protect your pride by keeping us a secret, it's too late; I've already spilled all the juicy details about everything that's happened between us so far!"

The prince gaped at him, horrified. Fai just giggled again and kissed his blushing cheek adoringly. "If your face turns any redder, Kurochuu, you might turn into a raspberry!"

"You… you told them…?" he choked. "E-_everything_…?"

"You're not mad, are you, Kuropuu?" Fai asked, feigning shame and shyness, though he was clearly holding back gales of laughter.

"M-mad?" Kurogane sputtered. "MAD?! I'm… I'M GONNA KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD!!"

"Kyaaaa!" Fai squealed in delight, launching himself off the bed and running for his life. "I'm gonna be attacked by a big bad doggy!"

"JUST WAIT TILL I CATCH YOU, ASS HOLE!!" Kurogane roared, brandishing a toy sword furiously.

The prince managed to chase him into a corner and Fai realized that he was in trouble. Kurogane's eyes were gleaming sinisterly at Fai, and Fai's eyes were glimmering amusedly back at Kurogane. The two of them stared at each other, momentarily frozen. Then Fai's face broke out in a smile and he threw himself at Kurogane, tackling the taller boy to the ground, laughing like a mental child as he pressed kisses to every inch of the prince's exposed skin. Kurogane just couldn't stay angry with him after that; he hid his face in Fai's neck, kissing him back. That was when the bedroom door flew open.

"Well, it looks like the boys both woke up on the right side of the bed this morning," the king laughed.

"I suppose so!" the queen agreed. "My, quite the cornucopia of love we have here!"

Kurogane's mortification returned in an instant and even Fai looked a bit embarrassed. "D-DAD!! HAVEN'T YOU EVER HEARD OF KNOCKING?!" the prince shrieked, his voice cracking as he shoved Fai off of him, blushing to the roots of his pitch-black hair.

"We did!" the king insisted, grinning. "I guess you two must have already been too wrapped up in each other to notice!"

"Er… Was…was there something you needed us for, your maj—I mean, Dad?" Fai asked, returning the king's smile sheepishly.

Kurogane's father laughed heartily. "I thought you two might be interested to know that we signed a treaty with a neighboring country this morning and we'll be hosting a combination banquet and ball next week with that king to celebrate our new alliance!"

"Why would I be interested in something stupid like a ball?" Kurogane grumbled.

"Silly boy!" his mother sang, clasping her hands together joyfully. "A ball would be a perfect opportunity for you to spend a romantic evening with Fai kun!"

"Do you remember _our_ first ball, dear?" the king asked his wife fondly.

"How could I forget?" she sighed dreamily. "That was where we had our first kiss…"

"That's right," he gushed, pulling her into his arms and kissing her. Then he smirked at his son and Fai. "But it looks like the boys have already passed _that_ benchmark!"

"That's ok," the queen smiled. "That doesn't mean they can't have fun…Not _too_ much fun though; you're still children, after all, and _that's_ something that should be saved for marriage!"

"Mom!" Kurogane raged, his flush returning in full force. "What the heck are you saying?! That's disgusting!"

"So, that's all we had to say," his mother went on cheerfully. "You may continue your little love fest."

With that, Kurogane's parents retreated, closing the behind them, leaving both boys rather pink in the face. There was a brief awkward silence again, where neither of them was sure what to say, until the voice of Kurogane's parents outside the door broke it again.

"I'm so glad our shy, grumpy son finally discovered love, even if it is with another boy!" his father said in an unnaturally loud voice.

"Me too, dear!" his mother replied in a similar voice. "And just wait until Tomoyo chan hears about this! She'll be tickled pink!"

"MOM!!" Kurogane spluttered. "DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT TELLING HER!!"

Fai tried unsuccessfully to stifle his giggling.

"Here I go!" she sang teasingly, and they could hear her skipping off down the hall, singing a taunting little tune as she went. "Little Kuro's in lovey-dovey! Wait till I tell Tomoyo!"

"GET BACK HERE, MOM!!" the prince roared, tearing out of his room after her.

* * *

"Giiiiiirls!" Fai announced happily, throwing open the door to the practice hall and twirling in (the twirling made Mokona, whom he was holding in his arms, meow in protest). "I'm baaaaaack! And I have some super amazing news to share with youuuuu!"

"Ooh, Fai kun!" Himawari trilled. "We're so glad to see you!"

"Yeah, and you've got perfect timing!" Suzuran agreed. "We were just told that…oh, never mind! I'll tell you in a minute; first give us the lowdown on your sleepover with the Savage Dog!"

"That's what's got you so excited, right, Fai san?" Sakura asked excitedly. "You're absolutely glowing! Did something good happen?"

"Yes, tell us all about it!" Nakuru demanded, sweeping him off his feet and into her arms.

Fai looked over the edge of her arm to where Chii was kneeling on the ground, tugging on the hem of his jacket. When he turned his attention to her, she smiled and held out her hands expectedly. He obligingly handed Mokona over to her and she crawled away, the kitten tucked in one arm, satisfied. While he had been momentarily distracted, the entertainers had begun chattering excitedly to each other, all trying to predict what Fai's exciting news would be.

"Everyone! I have an announcement to make!" he called over the top of their chattering voices. Fai smiled up at Nakuru who was still cradling him in her arms.

"Could you give me a lift, please, Nakuru san?" he asked the older girl pleasantly. She lifted him up and sat him on one of her shoulders to give him some extra height. "Kuromin and I…" He paused, grinning down at them, keeping them in suspense for just a little longer. "Are an official couple!"

They all burst into whistles and cheers and applause.

"We're so happy for you!" Sumomo called, doing a little celebratory dance to demonstrate her gladness.

"Congratulations, Fai san!" Rika chirped.

"That's great!" Chiharu agreed.

Nakuru set Fai down so that she could form a circle with Himawari and Suzuran, all of them joining hands and skipping as they began a chorus of "They love each other! They love each other! Prince Kurogane swings the other way and they love each other!"

In the midst of all the celebration, the practice hall door flew open, and someone stomped in though hardly anyone noticed.

"HEY!!" the visitor screamed at the top of his lungs. All of them stopped to look at him. "What the hell is going on here?!" Kurogane demanded. "And if it has anything to do with me, I'll kill you all!"

None of the entertainers made a sound but every single one of them, as if prompted by some telepathic signal, turned their heads in unison, grinning, to look at Fai. Fai, who had been hoisted onto the shoulders of Suzuran and Nakuru, flushed pink with pleasure at the sight of him and gestured for his makeshift charioteers to set him down in front of Kurogane. They lowered him down gracefully before the prince. Fai held his new boyfriend's gaze shyly for a moment before pouncing on him happily and pressing their lips together in a kiss. Kurogane's face turned scarlet as everyone began cheering for them again, but he didn't push Fai away.

As soon as they broke apart, the blond smiled at him apologetically. "I'm sorry, Kurosama; I had to tell them about us! They're…they're my best friends! You're not mad, are you?"

Kurogane's head was bowed so that Fai couldn't see his expression, but the prince's trembling worried him. When he finally lifted his gaze, his eyes were glinting with barely controlled fury.

"You'd better run…" Kurogane hissed, his voice deadly quiet, his cheeks burning. "'Cause when I catch you…I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS, YOU SCRAWNY LITTLE BASTARD!!"

Fai squealed with laughter and leapt to his feet while Kurogane nearly ripped up the floor as he chased after him. The entertainer girls giggled and egged them on. The two boys raced in circles around the practice hall, Fai pausing every so often to taunt the angry prince. The blond hadn't forgotten his problems but for the first time in four years, they were put on the backburner. For that moment, just one rare moment, Fai wasn't agonizing over his past; he was just a happy child in love. It felt good.

* * *

Kurogane yawned. He had been watching Fai and the other entertainers practice their dance moves for the upcoming banquet where they were to be performing. It had been interesting for a while, simply because he got to see Fai move in that uniquely graceful way that only Fai could pull off. Eventually, however, Kurogane became bored. He had no interest in dancing and he wanted to go outside to play with Fai.

"Are you done yet?" the prince complained loudly. "You've been dancing forever!"

"We'll be finished for the day in just half an hour, Kuropii, I promise," Fai assured him.

Kurogane grumbled sullenly and flopped back on the pillows that he was resting on as he watched. In his boredom, his thoughts returned to the events of the previous night when they had visited the jail. Fai had seen someone he knew in there, Kurogane was sure of it. And he didn't believe that crap Fai had told him about mistaking the prisoner for an old friend with whom he had enjoyed learning magic tricks. The way Fai had been so deeply shaken after their visit to the jail told him that much. Whomever Fai had seen in that cell was someone that he knew well, someone close to him.

Kurogane wished he hadn't been so busy being a wimp about the cold that night; then he could have gotten a look at the prisoner. He wondered if maybe Fai might just come clean if he asked about it. The prince decided that he would try it, but somehow he doubted it would work. So far, Fai had been pretty talented about dodging any questions that Kurogane had asked him pertaining to his personal life. What dark, painful secrets could the blond be keeping locked up inside? Kurogane wanted to know so he could help Fai overcome them. He was sick of seeing him constantly suffering alone.

"We're done, Kuromyuu," Fai said, smiling as he bent over him. Then a slight frown came to his face. "Is something bothering you? You look a little upset."

Kurogane considered him for a minute, wondering if this was a good time to confront him, but he decided against it. He still wanted to spend some time with him before the day was over and he didn't think Fai would be so eager to do so after Kurogane had just bombarded him with questions.

"We can talk about it later," Kurogane told him shortly, sitting up and running a hand backwards through his hair.

Fai pouted cutely, then disappeared to get himself a drink of water. The entertainers had just spent several hours practicing their dance routine so he needed water badly. Kurogane watched carelessly as the last girl exited the practice hall, leaving the two boys alone. Fai came back, a glass of water in hand and plopped down next to his new boyfriend.

"But we _will_ talk about it, right?" he asked, a small sad smile gracing his features. "I mean, I don't like to see Kuropiko looking upset. It makes me unhappy, too."

Crimson eyes studied him thoughtfully, and the blond thought he could detect just a hint of bitterness in them amongst the gruff affection and veiled concern, though he couldn't fathom why Kurogane would harbor such a thing toward him. Perhaps it was only his imagination. Fai began to feel slightly uncomfortable under the other boy's inquisitive watch so he quickly changed the subject.

"Mm, I'm tired," he moaned, flopping down on the pillows beside Kurogane. "Dancing is hard work!"

"…Let's go outside," Kurogane said rather suddenly. "I just thought of something I want to show you."

"Eh? Kuropopo wants to show me something?" Fai echoed curiously. "But I don't feel like walking. My legs are kinda sore…"

Kurogane got up and crouched down in front of the blond, showing him his back expectantly.

Fai was slightly puzzled. "You… you want me to…get on?"

"Look, are we gonna do this or are you just gonna lie there like an idiot?" Kurogane growled, though Fai could see that there was a slight blush on his face.

Smiling, he climbed onto the prince's back and draped his arms around the taller boy's neck to hold himself in place. Kurogane stood and carried him from the practice hall, through a couple corridors, outside and around the back of the palace. Fai hardly paid attention to where they were going; he was too busy resting his cheek against Kurogane's shoulder and letting his fingers explore the side of his face, his neck, his ears. It made him smirk to himself when he noticed that by gently sliding his finger down from behind the prince's ear and along his smooth jaw line he could draw a slight shiver from him. Apparently Kurogane was considerably less pleased about this discovery.

"Hey, cut that out," he ordered as another little shiver ran through his body. "It feels weird."

"You don't like it?" Fai giggled, kissing his neck playfully. "But Kurowanko's got goosebumps now. It's funny!"

"It's not funny; it's annoying!" Kurogane protested, though if he was completely honest with himself, maybe he did like it a little bit.

"Where are we going, Kuronta?" the blond asked sweetly.

"You'll see when we get there," the prince answered elusively. "Just a little further."

Fai focused his attention curiously on their surroundings, trying to guess where they might be headed. They were walking away from the palace now and ahead of them was a neat little forest of squat, low-branched trees. He wondered what was so special about the trees; he assumed that was what Kurogane wanted to show him since they were the only things visible within the castle walls. As they drew closer, Fai began to notice that the trees branches were laden with shiny red fruits.

"Ah! Are you taking me to an orchard, Kurowanta?" he chirped excitedly.

Kurogane said nothing so Fai assumed that he had guessed correctly. As soon as they reached the outer edge of the forest, Kurogane set him down.

"You hungry?" he asked.

"Starving!" Fai gushed. "Oh, it's been such a long time since the last time I had fresh apples!"

"Go ahead and pick some if you want," Kurogane offered casually. "There's more than enough."

"Hyuu! I'm so happy!" Fai sang, clapping his hands. "You're so nice, Kurochuu!"

Kurogane blushed at the compliment as Fai, forgetting his alleged fatigue, scampered up one of the trees.

"H-hey…don't go climbing too high and getting yourself stuck up there," the prince warned. "I might not feel like coming up there to save you."

"Aww, listen to Oujiwanko worrying about me," Fai crooned, stretching his hand out as far as he could to pluck an especially juicy-looking apple from the end of a branch. "How sweet of him…Wah!"

Fai managed to snatch the apple he had been aiming for but he had gone out too far on the limb he'd been standing on and slipped off. Luckily, Kurogane had lightning-fast reflexes and was able to catch him before he hurt himself. Fai laughed apologetically.

"Oops, sorry about that, Kuropin!" he grimaced. "Thanks for catching me…Are you hurt?"

"No," Kurogane replied quickly. "Are you?"

"Nope, but I did manage to get the apple I was reaching for!" he said proudly, holding up the apple for him to see. He took a big bite.

"Jeez, be more careful, idiot," Kurogane grumbled. Instead of pushing Fai away, however, he held him close and began stroking the blond's hair absentmindedly.

"Wow, this apple is so yummy!" Fai gasped, licking sweet juice from the fruit's exposed inner flesh before it could drip down his arm. "Try some, Kuropuu!"

He held it up to Kurogane's lips and the prince grudgingly took a bite.

"How is it?" the smaller boy asked.

"Hmph. I guess it's not completely disgusting," Kurogane admitted.

"What do you mean?!" Fai yelped. "It's amazing! How can you not love it?!"

Kurogane shrugged. "I told you before that I don't like sweet stuff."

Fai took another bite of the apple, pouting at him cutely. After a moment, his expression became a bit more serious. "You're looking upset again, Kuronpyu," he cooed, nuzzling his cheek against the prince's shirt. "Now can you tell me what's wrong?"

Kurogane looked down at him, an eyebrow raised. It struck him as odd that Fai would be so quick to ask him what was wrong when it was a question that he himself avoided like the plague. Fai caught the surprise on Kurogane's face and felt the need to explain himself.

"If something is worrying you or making you sad, Kurochan, I'd like it if you'd tell me about it," he urged with a small smile. "Even if there's nothing I can do to help, it'll make you feel better to talk about your problems, I think. Keeping that kind of thing all to yourself…can be really lonely and painful…"

Kurogane almost gave him a sardonic smirk as he said that; Fai had no idea that by saying this he was backing himself into a corner. The prince met his eyes, his own deadly serious.

"Who did you see in that jail cell last night?"

Whatever Fai had expected him to say, it couldn't have been any more obvious to Kurogane that that wasn't it; he was so startled by the question that he even jumped a little. After looking lost for a second or two, Fai slipped his smile back on, trying to make up for his moment of surprise. But even as he began to hesitantly open his mouth to reply, Kurogane could tell by his expression that he wasn't going to give him a real answer so he cut him off.

"Ever since we visited the prison last night, you've looked like you were hurting really bad. It's even worse than it was when you first came here. Most of the time, you're not even completely with me, like you're too busy thinking about something else. I hate it!"

It seemed to take Fai a bit longer than usual to process his words, as if he was having trouble swallowing them. When he finally spoke, he did so with a pained smile on his face.

"I already told you, Kurosama; it just looked like an old friend of mine. Even if it turned out to be someone else, it still hurt to imagine him being in that situation. Especially since I don't know where he is now…"

Kurogane closed his eyes. As much as he loved Fai, he still had very little tolerance for his lies. In fact, now that they had officially confessed their feelings for each other, he found that he had even less patience for them. With difficulty, the prince reigned in his temper and opened his eyes again.

"Know what I hate almost as much as I hate watching you hurting?" he growled. "You lying to me. Don't even bother doing it; I can tell, and it really pisses me off."

"But I…" he began timidly.

"What?" Kurogane interrupted again bitterly. "You didn't want to talk about _your_ problems? Didn't you just say that telling someone about things that are bothering you will make you feel better? If you really believe that then start talking."

"My problems… are so big and ugly," Fai said in a voice that was barely more than a whisper, his head bowed in shame. "It wouldn't…be right for me to unload them onto you…"

"You trying to say that you think I can't handle them?" the prince retorted angrily. "You think you can carry them around all by yourself but I'm not even strong enough to help you?"

"No!" Fai interjected loudly. Once he was sure that he had put a stop to Kurogane's rant, he continued at a more normal volume. "I'm not saying that at all. What I'm saying is that I…I love it when you look at me with love in your eyes. I love it when you're holding my hand and your face gets all red because you're shy about your feelings… If I told you who was in that jail cell and why… if I told you about the things that I've done… if you knew what I really am…I'm so afraid that you'd think I was disgusting, that you'd start to hate me, and I…I'd never get to experience those things ever again."

He reached out his arms as if to hug Kurogane but then seemed to lose his nerve and lowered them again. His slender body was trembling just as it had the previous night, his breathing slightly ragged. When Kurogane saw him hurriedly wipe his eyes on his sleeve, he suddenly felt all his anger melting away in spite of himself. Nervously, he pulled Fai close and began to stroke his hair again soothingly. Fai sniffled as he hugged him back, taking deep breaths to help calm himself.

"You don't have to tell me those things now if you're not ready," Kurogane said quietly. "But at least tell me _something_ about your life before I met you. I can't stand liking someone so much and not knowing anything about them. That's not how this kind of thing is supposed to work."

Fai was silent, suddenly realizing how much his refusal to confide in him was probably hurting the prince, even if Kurogane was pretty good at hiding it. He could tell by the way Kurogane looked at him, the way his voice sounded when he talked to him, the way he was so gentle when he touched him that Kurogane really, truly loved him. Kurogane would do anything for him, give anything for him. Fai owed it to him to share something of himself with the one he loved. It still scared him, though, when it crossed his mind that he loved Kurogane. That was part of the reason why he couldn't make himself look at him when he next spoke.

"Do you remember that story I told you last night about…about the twin princes?" he asked in a choked voice.

"Yeah," Kurogane said, running over the details of the story in his head to refresh them.

"That story…It's m-my story… I was one of the p-princes…"

Kurogane's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't thought much of the story when Fai had first told it to him but now that he knew that those events were real, that they had happened to Fai, suddenly it struck him much harder. No wonder Fai had left him hanging at the end; it was still being played out.

"S-sorry," Fai breathed.

Kurogane hugged him tighter. "What the hell are you apologizing for, you idiot? Don't just say 'sorry' for no reason."

"Sorry," Fai repeated faintly.

The prince frowned thoughtfully down at the top of the blond's head as Fai nuzzled shakily against him. Even though he had answered one of his questions, a thousand more sprung up to replace it, but he choked them back down for the time being. He knew it must have taken a lot of courage for Fai to tell him that story and he could tell that he was afraid that even these details would cause Kurogane's affection towards him to wane. Kurogane snorted and rolled his eyes in disbelief before pressing a kiss to the top of Fai's head.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" he said gruffly, though he really was thankful for what Fai had told him. "And guess what."

"Wh-what?" Fai stammered.

Kurogane lifted his chin, forcing him to meet his eyes. "I don't even hate you for it."

Fai let out a little sigh of relief as the prince leaned forward to kiss his lips. Words could not express how glad he was for that.

"But," Kurogane said sternly once they had pulled apart, "that doesn't mean you're off the hook."

Fai wiped his eyes again and looked at him nervously. "For what?"

"For telling all those entertainer jerks about us," he groused, his cheeks turning pink at the memory.

Fai looked relieved again and an apologetic smile spread across his face. "Ah, so you were serious about keeping that a secret?"

"Hmph!" Kurogane huffed, folding his arms as he blushed more deeply. "What the hell do you think?!"

"I'm sorry!" Fai laughed. "I'm just so happy and excited about being together with Kurochii that I couldn't help it! I want to tell everyone!"

"Well, don't!" the prince warned. "People are going to think we're messed up or something!"

"Hmm? You mean you don't want me to climb to the top of this tree…" Fai scampered out of Kurogane's lap and up into the tree branches, "and shout as loud as I can that KUROSAMA AND I ARE IN LOVE-LOVE!!"

"IDIOT!!" Kurogane snapped, his face burning crimson. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO SAY THAT!!"

"And I suppose you'll also want to keep it a secret that KUROPYON AND I ALREADY KISSED LOTS OF TIMES!!" Fai declared at the top of his lungs.

"BASTARD!!" the prince roared. "JUST WAIT TILL I GET UP THERE!! I'LL KILL YOU!!"

* * *

**A/N: **This was meant more as a transitional chapter, so that's why nothing really important happened. I just wanted to show their relationship in a time of relaxation before the drama and angst that I'm planning for the next chapter. Just keeping it in the spirit of the actual series! I think the next chapter is where the plot will start to pick up and we'll see Fei Wong's Super-Duper Plan of Wank and Destruction and Evil finally put into action. Stay tuned!


	23. Nefarious

**A/N: **Yes!! Another chapter! Man, am I cool! Now we start to really find out what Fai's deal is. It's all coming together according to plan! Mwa ha ha ha ha! Well, anyway… I'll define "nefarious" as given by the usual source. **Nefarious **_/nifairee-us/ adj. _Wicked.

There, that was simple. Now, read.

* * *

**Nefarious**

"Kyle!" Fei Wong shouted, bursting into his servant's room. "Kyle, I need you right…"

Kyle jumped and turned red as he faced his master. "Ah! M-my lord!"

He cleared his throat awkwardly, lowering his arms and moving his hips back into their normal position as he shut his enchanted music box with a snap, cutting off the foreign music that had been streaming from it. Fei Wong hurriedly lowered his eyes as Kyle jerked his shirt back on.

"What in the world were you doing?" Fei Wong asked distantly, not entirely sure that he wanted to know the answer to that.

"Erm… J-just brushing up on some dance moves before the ball," Kyle replied truthfully.

Fei Wong blinked at him. "What kind of ballroom dancing was _that_? I've never seen anything like it."

"Apparently, it's called 'skanking'," the servant said uncomfortably. "I'm told it's all the rage in a lot of southern countries…Ahem…you had something you wished to ask me, my lord?"

"Right," Fei Wong remembered. "The ball is only three days away and I haven't got a single thing to wear! You're coming shopping with me."

"Oh, um…ok," Kyle agreed reluctantly.

He didn't really like to shop with his master. Perhaps it wouldn't be quite so agonizing if Fei Wong didn't insist on asking him for every single outfit if these pants made his butt look big, or if that shirt went well with his eyes and so on and so forth. But it wasn't as though Kyle had much of a say in whether he wanted to come along or not; he was a servant and that was the type of shit he had been hired specifically to put up with.

He supposed he could always take the opportunity to get himself a new outfit for the ball as well. Maybe if he was busy trying on clothes himself, Fei Wong wouldn't bother him so much for his opinion. Kyle fought the urge to laugh dryly at that thought; as if something like that would stop him. As Fei Wong dragged him along to the tailor's Kyle wondered bitterly why he never made Xing Huo come along instead.

* * *

"Where are you taking me, Kuropon?" Fai asked, laughing as the prince pulled him along.

Fai wiped the sweat from his forehead, wishing Kurogane would slow down a bit so he could catch his breath; he was already pretty worn out from dance practice. They were currently both on lunch break, Fai from his daily rehearsal with the entertainers, Kurogane from his academic lessons. Suzuran had declared that they would be getting forty-five minutes for lunch, but when Kurogane had burst into the practice hall and impatiently called for Fai, she had smirked and changed it to an hour and fifteen minutes instead. Kurogane's face had turned red as he had grabbed the blond's hand, all the entertainers watching curiously, and dragged him out the door.

"What's our hurry?" Fai panted. "Can't we slow down a little?"

"I only have an hour for lunch," Kurogane replied shortly. "It'll take at least ten minutes to get there, and ten to get back so that means I've got forty minutes."

Fai fell silent, realizing that, as usual, he wouldn't be getting any explanation from Kurogane until they reached their destination. He was surprised when he saw that the prince wasn't taking him outside. Where could they be going within the castle that would take ten minutes to reach? Fai couldn't help feeling excited; the last time Kurogane had done this kind of thing, it meant that he had some sort of cute little surprise waiting for them. In spite of his somewhat rough nature, Kurogane could be surprisingly romantic at times. That was one of the things that Fai loved most about him. He knew that if he were to point this out to him, the prince would just blush and hurriedly deny it. The thought made Fai smile fondly to himself.

They were going up a flight of stone steps now. That made Fai even more curious; he had never been to the second floor of the palace before. He had kind of been hoping that they were going to the dining hall or somewhere like that. Dancing took a lot of energy and he was pretty hungry. Fai really hoped that wherever they were going would at least have food. His thoughts were revealed when his stomach growled loudly. He gave a sheepish little laugh and put a hand to it in attempt to quiet it.

"Guess I'm kind of hungry, huh?" Fai said, hoping that Kurogane would recognize a hint when he heard it.

"Yeah, yeah," Kurogane sighed. "I get it; we'll be there in a minute."

"You still haven't told me where we're going," Fai pouted. "Why does it always have to be a secret?"

"Jeez, you're whiny!" the prince growled. "Just put a damn sock in it! I said we'll be there in a minute! And hurry up! If you were any slower I'd have a freaking beard by the time we got there!"

"Sorry, Kuropyon, but I'm tired!" Fai replied apologetically, giggling a little as he pictured Kurogane with a beard. "If you want to move faster, you might carry me…"

Kurogane let out a little snarl of frustration. Without any warning, he crouched down and slung Fai over his shoulder as though he were a sack of potatoes. The blond let out a little squeak of surprise at this treatment but Kurogane gave no indication that he cared or even noticed. He just continued up the steps as though he did this sort of thing every day.

Finally, Kurogane reached the top of the fourth flight of stairs and pushed open the door at the top. Fai shielded his eyes as he was suddenly dazzled by sunlight after having been carried up all those dimly-lit stairwells. Kurogane knelt down again to let Fai off, then stood, bent double, clutching his side as he tried to catch his breath. When the blond's eyes finally became used to the bright light, he looked around curiously. They appeared to be on the roof of the palace. He turned around to ask Kurogane what they were doing up here but when he saw what was waiting for them behind the prince, he gasped.

A blue blanket had been laid out on the rooftop, its surface scattered with different kinds of freshly cut flowers. The blanket was weighed down by dishes containing a variety of foods. Fai could see sandwiches, rice, tempura, salad, several kinds of fruit, some type of noodles and iced lemonade. Kurogane straightened up behind him and scratched the back of his head nervously, blushing as he waited for Fai to say something. Fai whipped around to face him, his eyes wide and sparkling, and threw his arms around the prince's shoulders.

"A rooftop picnic?!" he gushed, standing on his tiptoes so that he could kiss the other boy's lips. "That's so sweet! I love it! I'm surprised that Kurotan thought up something so romantic!"

"It was Tomoyo's idea," Kurogane mumbled, embarrassed by the burst of affection. Fai could tell that he was pleased though because after a moment he curled his arm around his boyfriend's slender waist and rested his cheek on top of his head.

"Right, let's eat!" Fai chirped, sitting down on the blanket and grabbing a sandwich eagerly.

His smile widened and his heart fluttered joyfully when Kurogane sat down beside him, filled a bowl with rice and tempura and pulled him into his lap before starting to eat. The two of them ate slowly and in silence, savoring the food and each other's presence. Fai leaned back against Kurogane, munching his sandwich happily. It amused him when he noticed that the prince's heart was beating quicker at the contact. He found it adorable that Kurogane was still so shy with him even though they had already confessed their love to each other.

"So the ball is only four days away, hmm?" Fai sighed.

"You don't have to tell me," Kurogane snorted. "My parents've been trying to bully me all week into helping them get ready for it."

"You _will_ dance with me, won't you?" he asked hopefully.

The prince choked on his rice. "You'll have just finished dancing for your performance during the banquet, right? Won't you be sick of dancing by then?"

"Not if it's with Kuropii," Fai pouted. "Please? It would make me so happy!"

Kurogane gritted his teeth. Dancing with him wouldn't make Fai happy; it would make him laugh his ass off when he found out that… Damn it! Why did he always have to be such a stubborn idiot?! He should've known it would only come back to bite him in the butt later. But he knew that if Fai had his heart set on something, he wouldn't shut up about it until he got his way. The only solution would be to go to Tomoyo (she was the only one he would feel even remotely comfortable asking) and have her… Grr! Stupid Fai!

"Please?" Fai repeated.

"Fine! Whatever!" Kurogane snapped. He cursed himself as he felt his cheeks getting hot again.

Fai giggled and leaned back to kiss him under the chin gratefully. "Thank you, Kuropun. You're so sweet."

"Am not," the prince mumbled sullenly.

"You agreed to dance with me, even though you don't really like dancing and you planned a romantic rooftop picnic for us," Fai reminded him. "Face it, Kurokuro; you're a sweetie pie."

Kurogane blushed silently, trying to hide his embarrassment by tipping his bowl up and shoveling rice into his mouth with his chopsticks. Fai giggled and picked up a slice of watermelon.

"Hey, um…" Kurogane began awkwardly as Fai licked watermelon juice from his fingers. "You liked that chocolate stuff that we made for my mother's birthday, right?"

"Mm? Oh, yes," Fai answered. "It's one of my favorite desserts!"

Kurogane leaned forward and grabbed a small covered plate that Fai hadn't noticed before. "Here," he said, shoving the plate embarrassedly into the other boy's hands.

Fai uncovered the plate and felt his heart skip a beat. There, in the middle of the saucer, was a somewhat sloppy-looking version of the fondant au chocolat that he and Kurogane had made together. The blond tried rather unsuccessfully to conceal his widening grin.

"Did you make this all by yourself from memory, Kurowanko?" he asked delightedly.

"Well, I tried," Kurogane mumbled, carefully avoiding his eyes. "But I couldn't remember everything so I had to have one of the cooks help a little…"

Fai took a bite. It tasted better than he thought it would, what with Kurogane not exactly being an experienced chef. He noticed the prince watching him furtively out of the corner of his eye, waiting for his reaction. Fai smiled at him.

"You did very well, Kuropii," he assured him. "It's delicious."

"Hmph. Of course it is," Kurogane said, but Fai could see the relief on his face. "Well, I'm going back. I don't want to have to listen to the tutor's crap if I'm late."

Fai wiped his lips off on the back of his hand so that he could give the prince a kiss.

"Good luck on your lessons, Kurochii!" he piped. "I'm rooting for you!"

He watched Kurogane affectionately as he disappeared back into the palace while he finished up his treat.

* * *

"How about this one, my lord?" Kyle asked, holding a royal blue tunic up to the crack in the dressing room door for Fei Wong's consideration.

Fei Wong looked it over, then waved his hand dismissively and closed the door again. "The color would be good for any other occasion but it won't go well with blood."

"Blood, my lord?" Kyle asked nervously. Fei Wong emerged from the dressing room wearing a long black robe-like garment.

"Oh yes, there will be blood," he replied, grinning darkly.

Kyle was silent for a moment, staring at him in horror. Then he forced an anxious smile.

"You've perfected your villain smile, I see, my lord. I nearly wet my pants that time."

Fei Wong looked pleased with himself.

"But if you don't mind me asking, my lord, why are you expecting so much bloodshed?"

Fei Wong shrugged. "I figured that since we're already going to be there anyway, we might as well do a bit of conquering; expand the kingdom a little."

"You mean to take over Suwa, my lord?" Kyle asked, shocked.

"I just said that," Fei Wong said, looking annoyed. "You don't listen very well, do you?"

Then he turned around and looked at the back of his outfit in the mirror, still frowning. "Does this robe make my butt look big?"

* * *

Kurogane heaved a sigh and knocked reluctantly on Tomoyo's door.

"Come in!" her voice sang from inside.

The prince gritted his teeth as he pushed open the door. Her eyes lit up when she saw him.

"Prince Kurogane!" Tomoyo chirped, clapping her hands together. "What an unexpected surprise.

"Hey, look, uh…" Kurogane looked down at the floor, shuffling his feet awkwardly. "I need a favor."

"Of course you do," she agreed, smiling. "You never come to _me_ unless you want something. Otherwise you'd make _me_ come to _you_."

"Shut up, you," Kurogane growled. "You've got a lot of nerve to talk to your prince like that."

"Now, Prince Kurogane; is that any way to treat someone you expect a favor from?" Tomoyo asked, putting a hand to her heart as though she was offended. In reality, this was just a normal trade off between the two of them; she would tease him, he would remind her that he basically owned her, and she would pretend to be emotionally wounded. Both of them knew by now how the game worked.

"Anyway, what was it that you wanted?" she asked cheerfully.

"I…" He hesitated again, running a hand backward through his hair. "Well, that stupid guy wants me to dance with him at the ball…"

Tomoyo grinned. "By 'stupid guy', do you mean Fai kun?"

Kurogane blushed a little. "Yeah, him. Anyway, the problem is that I don't know how to…"

She giggled as he trailed off, his blush deepening. Tomoyo could guess exactly what he was going to ask from her but he was so fun to mess with that she decided to feign ignorance.

"Hmm?" she asked sweetly, batting her eyes at him. "What was that? You don't know how to what?"

"I don't know how to dance, alright?!" he snapped, his hands balling into fists at his sides.

"Oh dear, that _is_ unfortunate," Tomoyo said dramatically. "But how can _I_ help?"

"You can teach me how," Kurogane growled impatiently.

"Really? You want me to teach you how to dance?" she asked, stifling another wave of giggles. "Well, I suppose I might be able to fit you into my busy schedule somewhere… But of course, I can't do this for free, you know! Dancing skills don't grow on trees, you know."

Kurogane snorted. He had been expecting her to demand compensation but hoped maybe she wouldn't this time. The prince figured that this was what he got for being so short with her all the time. "Fine. What do you want?"

"Wellll…" Tomoyo began innocently, twirling a strand of her long dark hair around her finger. "I was just thinking that I needed someone to model some of my new outfits for me…"

Damn; that was the one thing that the prince had been praying that she wouldn't ask him to do. He hated that, and she knew it.

"Forget it!" he snarled, folding his arms stubbornly. "I don't wanna wear your dumb girly clothes!"

"How sad," she sighed, looking regretful. "I guess you'll just have to tell Fai kun that you can't dance with him. He'll be so disappointed… I wonder if he'll cry. That would just break my heart!"

Kurogane remembered the last time he had seen Fai with tears rolling down his pale cheeks and he felt a slight lump rising in his throat. Then he growled and punched the wall.

"Dammit! Fine! I'll do it! But you'd better not make me wear any of your damn dresses!" the prince warned.

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear that you've changed your mind!" Tomoyo trilled delightedly. "And I'm sure Fai kun will be, too!"

"He'd better be," Kurogane grumbled, folding his arms again. "Otherwise I'll kick his scrawny little ass."

* * *

The night of the ball finally arrived but Fai did not feel the joy and excitement he had expected this evening to bring. Instead he felt anxious, his insides twisted hideously with guilt. He had felt the first gnawings of it after his romantic rooftop picnic with Kurogane. Before, he had been in too much of a high from the realization of his genuine love for the prince and their romance coming to fruition to be aware of it. But now that he had become somewhat accustomed to being with Kurogane, some of that initial thrill had worn off, allowing room for far less pleasant feelings and realizations to surface in its place.

Fai was disgusted with himself. He had a lot of nerve, being happy and going on dates and letting Kurogane hold and kiss him when his twin was in that dark, damp jail cell literally wasting away. The reason he had decided to stay in the palace in the first place was in hopes of collecting enough money to bail the real Fai out, or to make Kurogane fall in love with him so that Fai could persuade him to order his release. Instead what had he done? He had basically given up on coin collecting and allowed himself to truly fall in love with the prince, making it impossible to just use him and lose him. Whose fault was it that his brother was locked up in the first place?! Fai should be the one dying in the darkness, not his twin.

"Hey," a soft voice said in his ear, startling him. "What's up?"

Fai looked up and saw Kurogane standing behind him, his hand resting concernedly on the blond's shoulder. There was worry in his penetrating scarlet eyes as well, though most other people would probably fail to recognize it as such. Nevertheless, the sound of Kurogane's voice had brought him back to the present. Fai was sitting in one of the small rooms off of the main dining hall with the rest of the entertainers, having a quick supper before it was time for them to go out and perform. He had only been picking at his food, and obviously Kurogane had noticed.

Fai quickly forced a smile. "Oh, it's nothing, Kuropipi… I guess I'm just a little nervous, that's all."

Kurogane's eyes narrowed, studying him suspiciously. Fai could tell that he was trying to decide whether or not to believe him.

"Hmph," he huffed finally. "You'd better not be lying."

Fai lowered his eyes guiltily, trying to go back to his food. Apparently the prince saw this action for what it really was because he sat down beside him and put his arm around Fai's shoulders, pulling him gruffly against his chest.

"You can tell me, you know," Kurogane said sullenly. "You're the one who said it makes people feel better if they talk about their problems."

It took every ounce of resolve he possessed for Fai to push him gently away. "Really, Kuropon; I'm just nervous."

Kurogane frowned at him, looking slightly hurt, but he didn't pursue the matter any further.

"Prince Kurogane!" a servant called from the doorway.

Kurogane stood. "Yeah, what do you want?"

"The king and queen wish for you to help them welcome our guests."

The prince sighed heavily, annoyed by the stupid formalities. "We'll finish this talk later," he muttered to Fai before leaving.

Fai lowered his head, his mind filled with a sickening cocktail of shame and self-loathing. He didn't want to finish their talk later; it would only cause him to have to tell more lies to Kurogane, and he hated doing that. It made him feel like a traitor. The blond sighed, hurriedly wiping his eyes on his sleeve and busied himself with scooping the leftover food from his plate into his napkin and wrapping it up. The least he could do to make up for his hideous selfishness was bring his starving brother some extra food. He left the little care package in his discarded shoe for safe-keeping and filed silently out with his fellow entertainers into the main dining hall.

* * *

Fai felt sick the moment he entered the main dining hall, though it wasn't a nervous type of sickness or an indigestion type of sickness. For some reason, as soon as he stepped into the main dining hall, he was almost choked by an overwhelming sense of foreboding, as though he was anticipating something terrible to happen. That didn't make any sense, though; there were more guards here than he had ever seen around the palace before. The chances that anyone would get away with anything in this type of setting were basically zero. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling…

"Fai san, are you ok?" Sakura asked as they neared the stage. "You're shaking."

"Hmm?" he said distractedly. "Oh, yes…Just a little nervous, I guess."

"Don't worry, you're a great dancer," she assured him sweetly. "You'll do fine, I know it."

He tried to return her confident smile, but even he could tell that it came out lopsided. Sakura didn't have time to question him any further, though, because it was time for them to take their places. He was in the back row; Suzuran had tried to insist that his beauty be showcased by placing him in the front, but Fai had refused saying that he didn't deserve such a place of honor when the others had seniority over him.

Even as their dance began, he was so distracted that he wasn't even paying attention to his movements. Instead Fai trusted his body to remember them. He wished he could see Kurogane; certainly the sight of the prince's face would calm him at least a little. Kurogane was nowhere to be seen, though Fai supposed that he was probably in the midst of the knot of guards near the high table. He could see the top of the king's head. Fai knew from the short time he had spent as prince of Celes that there were all kinds of annoying formalities to be observed when greeting the king of a new ally country. He could just barely glimpse the very top of the other king's head, too, though only enough to see that he, like Kurogane's father, had black hair as well.

Just as the guards began to separate to allow the royals to take their places at the high table, Fai's view of them was blocked by Himawari and Nakuru who were situated in front of him. The blond was too busy now just trying to force himself to keep moving to really care. Where was this sick feeling coming from? It made him think of walking through pitch darkness, knowing that a hungry monster was lurking somewhere just out of sight and having only a stick to use as a weapon. What evil could be hiding among all these guards and other people that would be capable of causing such a feeling?

By the time their dance was over, Fai's head was swimming terribly and he could feel sweat running down his face and back. As soon as the entertainers broke formation, all of them turned to him worriedly. "Fai kun, what's the matter?! You're so pale!" "You're shaking!" "Are you sick?! Do you want to go lie down?!" "Chii?" "Here, climb onto my back, ok? You look like you're about to collapse!" "I'll get some water!" "He doesn't have a fever…" Their voices swirled around him and Fai couldn't even tell who was saying what. He felt himself being pushed onto someone's back any being carried off the stage. Fai closed his eyes tightly and looped his arms around the girl's neck, wishing it was Kurogane who was carrying him.

* * *

Once he was out of the main dining hall, Fai's mysterious sickness receded as quickly as it had come, though he was still feeling apprehensive. He had never experienced a feeling like that before. It couldn't just be coincidence, right? But then again, how could there be anything evil enough in the dining hall to bring him that sort of terror? Fai snorted in amusement as he imagined a giant rump-roast demon bursting out from one of the many covered dishes that covered the tables and going on a rampage. Somehow that just didn't seem very likely.

It was rather difficult to convince the other entertainers of his sudden recovery, however.

"Really, you don't need to worry about me," he tried to tell them as they fussed over him. "I feel much better now."

They had laid him out on a bed of pillows and brought him cold water to drink while Sumomo hurried off to find a healer. Fai tried to kindly brush Chiharu off as she laid a cool washcloth out on his forehead, but she ignored his protests. Eventually, he gave up with a sigh and just let them do as they pleased. Obviously there was no dissuading them. Suddenly the door burst open to admit a worried-looking Kurogane with Sumomo trailing in his wake. Before Fai could say anything to him, the prince dismissed the gaggle of girls with an imperious wave of his hand and knelt down at Fai's side. Kurogane waited until he heard the door snap shut again before sweeping Fai fiercely into his arms.

"I _knew_ something was wrong!" he snarled, hugging the little blond almost desperately. "Why do you keep lying to me, you idiot?! Why do you have to have all these damn secrets?!"

"Sorry, Kurosama," Fai said, hugging him back. He cursed himself mentally as he did this; he had made a promise to himself to try to put more distance between them for Kurogane's sake. "It's nothing to worry about, though; it was just nervousness."

Kurogane pulled away and grasped Fai by the shoulders. "You're still lying!" he shouted, shaking him slightly. Although most people would only have been able to see anger in Kurogane's face, Fai could see deep pain there as well and it broke his heart to know that he was causing it.

"Don't you trust me?" the prince asked almost desperately, staring deep into Fai's deep blue eyes.

The blond smiled sadly at him. "I told you it was best not to get involved with me. You'll only be hurt."

"Shut up!" Kurogane snapped, hugging him close again. "Quit being such a dumbass! I don't know why you keep saying stupid shit like that but stop it! You're pissing me off!"

"It's because I love you, Kurotan," Fai breathed. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you. Could you really forgive me if I just let it happen without even trying to warn you?"

"I'll always…" Kurogane mumbled, but he ended so quietly that Fai didn't catch the last part.

"Hmm? What was that, Kuromun?" he asked.

"I said…" the prince hesitated, and Fai could tell that he was blushing. "I said I'll always forgive you, no matter what."

Fai closed his eyes, his heart torn between adoration and agony. "Please don't promise things like that, Kurochii."

"Well, I do promise," Kurogane replied defiantly. "What are you going to do about it?"

Fai let out a shaky sigh. "I don't know. I'll probably just love you even more, I guess."

Kurogane pulled away from him so that he could kiss his lips. That kiss nearly broke Fai's heart, but he couldn't help wishing it would last forever.

* * *

"The ball's starting."

"I know, but… I really don't feel like dancing anymore."

"You bastard! You're the one that was begging me to dance with you at the damn ball!"

"I…I changed my mind."

"Like hell you did. We're dancing. Get up."

"I thought you didn't want to dance."

"Get up. We'll go outside. I don't want to be with all those morons in there. If my parents see me dancing with you…"

"Kuropyon's mother will tease him, right?"

"Anyway, it's too loud in there. Come on."

Fai sighed reluctantly and went over to slip on his shoes. The second Kurogane looked away Fai slipped the napkin full of food into his pocket, hoping he would be able to sneak off at some point to bring it to his twin. Maybe he wouldn't feel quite so terrible about his recent behavior if he could just bring it to him. Fai doubted that it would work, but still, he could hope. As soon as Fai had his shoes on, Kurogane grabbed his hand and pulled him outside to the courtyard.

Once they were a decent distance away from the indoor proceedings, Kurogane nervously put one arm around Fai's slender waist the way Tomoyo had taught him and took his hand in his. As if he was going to let Fai change his mind about wanting to dance after the hell and humiliation that Kurogane had endured to get Tomoyo to give him lessons. Plus, he decided that maybe dancing wouldn't be so bad if it was with Fai. Any excuse to hold him close was good enough for him.

The blond put his arm around Kurogane's shoulders and couldn't help smiling at him as he waited for the prince to start. Since Kurogane was so averse to learning how to do "girly" things, Fai was curious to see whether he was actually capable of dancing. The dark-haired boy took a deep breath and began to lead nervously.

Fai had to bite his bottom lip to keep himself from giggling at the look of concentration on Kurogane's face. Normally he would have just allowed himself to laugh but he didn't want to shatter the shy prince's confidence. Besides, Kurogane was actually doing a pretty fair job; at least he hadn't stepped on Fai's foot yet. Oh, there he did it. But Fai didn't mind; he could tell that Kurogane's dancing was a newly acquired skill, most likely something he had learned just for the occasion. The blond was touched that someone would go to such lengths just to make him happy.

"I'm surprised, Kuropon," Fai admitted. "I didn't think you'd be able to dance but you're actually doing a pretty good job. Where did you learn to do it so well?"

Kurogane cleared his throat, blushing, and looked carefully over the top of his boyfriend's head. "Tomoyo."

Fai smiled again and laid his cheek against the taller boy's shoulder affectionately. "She's a good teacher," he whispered.

Fai realized then that he was again breaking his promise to distance himself from Kurogane. He had no business indulging in romance when his brother was locked up and dying in that miserable jail cell, he reminded himself. Why did he have to keep being so selfish, even after he realized that he was doing it and resolved to stop? Why did he have to be such a disgusting person? Why did Kurogane have to be so overwhelmingly perfect and adorable when Fai couldn't rightfully keep him as his own? Still, the thought of pushing Kurogane away hurt him deeply.

The music from inside eventually began to slow down as the song came to an end. On the last note, Kurogane gently kissed his lips again.

"I… I have to… go to the bathroom, Kurowanko," Fai lied once they had pulled apart. "I'll be right back, ok?"

Without waiting for a response, Fai hurried away, heading towards the jail. As soon as he had rounded the corner, he sniffled and hastily wiped away the tears that were beginning to fill his eyes.

Kurogane watched him go suspiciously. Fai had had that tone in his voice when he had said that; the tone he always had when he was telling a lie. There weren't any bathrooms that way either, unless Fai planned on using the bushes. Kurogane decided to follow him at a safe distance, telling himself sternly that if it turned out that Fai had been telling the truth he was not going to stick around and watch. That would just be creepy and gross.

As he trailed Fai, he saw the smaller boy pass by several perfectly good clumps of bushes. Just as he had thought; Fai had been lying. And was Kurogane imagining things or was the blond leading him towards the jail? No, he hadn't been imagining things; the prince could see barred windows. He stepped behind a nearby tree to watch and listen.

* * *

"Fai!" Yuui hissed. "Where are you?!"

"Yuui? Is it really you?" Fai asked disbelievingly, approaching the barred window. "Where have you been?"

"I'm so sorry…" Yuui apologized guiltily. "I meant to visit you sooner, but… I've been distracted… But look, I brought you some food!"

He lowered the napkin carefully down into Fai's hands. The starving boy dropped to his hands and knees and began shoveling the food into his mouth ravenously.

"Mmm," he sighed. "I'd just about forgotten what real food tastes like…"

Yuui shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "Fai… I'm… I'm a terrible brother… While you were here in this terrible place, I… I mean, I'm the one who should be in here; not you… If I had just gone out and picked pockets that day like I was supposed to instead of making you do it…"

"Yuui… You need to stop blaming yourself for my being in here," Fai interrupted. "We were always taught that stealing is wrong, so it's only natural that you wouldn't be comfortable doing it. Besides, I was the one who was stupid enough to try stealing from that noble. That's what landed me in here, not you."

"But you shouldn't even have been stealing that day!" Yuui insisted. "It was _my_ turn!"

"Anyway, that's not important now," Fai interrupted again. "I'm just glad you're alive. I was so afraid when I lost contact with you… I wonder why our magic just stopped working. Do you think there's some kind of magical barrier on this jail?"

"But we didn't lose contact until after you'd been here for a while, remember?" Yuui pointed out.

"Oh, that's right…" Fai agreed. "Maybe… Do you think it's because I haven't been getting enough blood?"

"That could be," Yuui nodded slowly.

"That has to be it," Fai said. "Because now that I think about it, I lost my connection with you about two months after they moved my cellmate out. He found me trying to take some of his blood and it really freaked him out. He begged so much that the guards finally agreed to move him to another cell."

"I wonder how long we can go without blood…" Yuui mused aloud.

"I'm afraid I might find out soon," Fai sighed wearily. "I can feel myself getting weaker every day."

"I wish I could give you some of my blood…" Yuui said sadly.

"Well, vampire's blood is poisonous to other vampires," Fai reminded him. "What about you? Have you been able to get blood since you've been here."

Yuui shook his head. "I…don't want to drink from anyone here… They're all so nice to me; I'd feel even more like a disgusting parasite than I usually do…"

"By the way, I wanted to ask you… What were you doing with the prince last time you visited me?" Fai asked. "Don't tell me you two are friends."

"Well, actually…" Yuui paused awkwardly. "You see, I got this plan to… to trick him into falling in love with me so that I could ask him to release you…"

Fai was silent for a moment. "Is it working?"

"…Well, yes…"

* * *

As soon as Kurogane heard those words leave his boyfriend's mouth, he felt as though his whole world was crashing down around him. So Fai wasn't really in love with him? It was all just a trick so that he could get him to release… Who was this person? Fai called him Fai and the prisoner called him Yuui… That confused him. So Fai wasn't even really called Fai? He had lied about that too? Fai (or Yuui, rather) had mentioned something about being a terrible brother. Was the prisoner really Fai's (Yuui's?) brother or had he meant something else? Their voices sounded almost exactly the same; that had to mean that they were actual brothers, then, right?

But it had all been a lie? Fai wasn't really in love with him? Fai wasn't even actually named Fai? It had all been a trick? Kurogane had heard these words from Fai himself, but he still had a hard time believing them to be true. And what was that nonsense about vampires…? His legs were feeling weak so he had to sit down. It seemed that the only thing that Fai hadn't lied about was that fact that getting involved with him would only bring pain.

The prince, normally so uncaring and brash, could feel his eyes filling with tears that were hot with pain and humiliation. How could he have been so stupid? He never should have had anything to do with that dumb blond; he should have kicked him out right away! How could he have been so blind? Kurogane was so distracted by his racing thoughts that he didn't even sense the three demons approaching him until it was too late.

* * *

**A/N: **Dun dun dun! Cliff hanger! Ok, I'm tired now. No more author's notes for me; I'm going to bed. Good night! (Reviews make my dreams so much sweeter!)


	24. Bouleversement

**A/N: **Dang, I am on a roll! Here's the definition of "bouleversement" from : _**Bouleversement **_booh-uh-vers-mahn –noun _French_. An overturning; convulsion; turmoil.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Bouleversement**

"By the way, I wanted to ask you… What were you doing with the prince last time you visited me?" Fai asked. "Don't tell me you two are friends."

"Well, actually…" Yuui paused awkwardly. "You see, I got this plan to… to trick him into falling in love with me so that I could ask him to release you…"

Fai was silent for a moment. "Is it working?"

"…Well, yes…" Yuui replied, bowing his head in shame.

"But?" Fai prompted.

"I…I'm such a disgusting person…" Yuui choked, his voice cracking slightly in his emotional distress.

Fai looked sadly up at him through the bars, knowing that his brother was trying desperately not to cry. He wanted to take his hand comfortingly but he couldn't reach from where he was.

"What happened, Yuui?" he asked quietly.

"I… actually… I l-let myself…"

"You fell in love with him for real, didn't you?" Fai said. He put a hand to his own chest, feeling his heart breaking over his twin's dilemma.

Yuui let out a shaky sigh, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "I mean… it…it's bad enough that I… even dragged s-someone innocent like h-him… into this mess… But to be s-so careless and stupid… as to actually fall in love with him…"

"You didn't mean to hurt anyone, Yuui," Fai whispered consolingly. "You just wanted to help me."

"But this _will_ hurt him!" Yuui protested. "What I meant to do… d-doesn't even matter… That doesn't make…what I did any b-better…"

Fai hung his head, not sure how to reply to that. It was true, after all; there was no denying it.

"Why does everything I touch… always end up b-breaking?" Yuui breathed, lowering his head into his hands.

Before Fai could even begin to come up with an answer to that question, their conversation was interrupted by a startled shout. Yuui whipped around to see where the noise was coming from and swore he felt his heart stop when he saw Kurogane roll out from behind a nearby tree to avoid the scything claws of three towering demons. The prince struggled with his boot for a moment and then Yuui saw him draw a shining dagger from it. Kurogane's delay cost him; though he managed to dodge the worst of the following blow, Yuui saw one of the demon's claws rake across his chest.

"Kurogane!!" Yuui shouted, dashing forward to come to the prince's aid.

His sudden appearance managed to stun the demons long enough for Kurogane to stab one of them in the stomach. The demon let out a bloodcurdling scream, vanishing suddenly. Yuui allowed his two-foot-long vampire nails to shoot out from his fingertips. Kurogane lunged at a second demon, but this time it was ready for him. It leapt easily over his head, landing behind him so that it had access to his unprotected back. The second demon advanced menacingly from the side, its gaping mouth exposing razor-sharp teeth that were dripping with venomous saliva. Yuui arrived just in time to block what could easily have been a fatal swipe at Kurogane's back from the first demon, catching its claws with his own.

Yuui was too small and skinny to be able to hold the demon's arm back, but luckily his other hand was free to attack and he drove his nails deep into the beast's chest. There was a second shrill noise as that demon vanished just as its first companion had. Yuui could hear Kurogane breathing hard behind him and whirled around to face the final monster. The prince and the demon seemed to be engaged in a staring match, each waiting for the other to strike. Yuui slashed at it but it sidestepped his attack and launched itself at Kurogane. The two of them collided.

When Yuui was able to work out what the result of that collision had been, he drew a sharp breath. Kurogane's dagger had been thrust deep into the demon's eye, rendering him the victor. However, although the prince had won he did not manage to escape injury entirely. There was a long, thin cut all the way across his neck and Yuui could see quite a lot of blood. He could smell that blood, too, very acutely. Without his mind's consent, Yuui's vampire instincts took over and he immediately swooped down on Kurogane, licking the cut across his neck hungrily. It seemed that for the moment, Kurogane was too shocked and horrified by this to be able to react the way he normally would have.

Yuui let out a hot breath against Kurogane's skin, his tongue poking out from between his lips again to lap at the thick red liquid that leaked from the prince's wound. As he drank, his claws retracted so that he was able to put his hands on either side of Kurogane's face. Vampire saliva, having healing properties, began to close the prince's wound, stemming the flow of blood from his neck. Yuui was about to move to the injuries across Kurogane's chest when the dark-haired boy shoved him away forcefully.

"You should just let me, Kurosama," Yuui said, his voice soft though his heart screamed with anguish. He tried desperately not to notice the tears that were collecting in both his and Kurogane's eyes. "It'll heal your cuts and keep them from getting infected."

The prince lowered his gaze reluctantly, signaling his permission for Yuui to heal him. Yuui pushed him down gently on his back and lifted Kurogane's shirt to allow himself access to the wounds. He didn't lick the excess blood away from Kurogane's chest. Instead he mopped it up with his sleeve with the intention of letting Fai suck it from the cloth and provide the sustenance he so desperately needed. It was a real shame that in his haste and worry Yuui failed to notice that he too had been injured and that his own blood mingled with Kurogane's on his sleeve once the fabric touched against his arm.

Once he had cleaned the extra blood away, Yuui lowered his mouth to Kurogane's chest and began to seal the wounds with his tongue. He trembled terribly as he did this, knowing that as soon as he finished, he would have no choice but to answer any question that Kurogane was undoubtedly going to throw at him. He owed the prince that much after having inadvertently broken his heart the way he had. Yuui tried to give himself some hope by thinking that maybe Kurogane hadn't heard his conversation with Fai. Even as he told himself this, he knew that it was false; he seriously doubted that those tears in Kurogane's eyes were caused by something as superficial as these wounds. The way he looked at him with such betrayal proved it.

But the healing process could not go on forever and eventually Yuui finished, drawing away from the prince slowly. He bowed his head in shame, allowing Kurogane time to wipe his eyes hurriedly without Yuui seeing. Both of them were shaking, though for different reasons. Yuui's trembling was caused by fear of what Kurogane would say to him once he finally found the words to confront him. He wanted to take Kurogane into his arms, and kiss his lips over and over again as he begged for forgiveness. Given the recent events, however, Yuui seriously doubted that the prince would take kindly to this so he restrained himself.

Kurogane's trembling was caused mainly by anger, though there was certainly shock and disgust and agony mingled there as well. He had loved Fai…no, Yuui… He had loved Yuui deeply, genuinely, and Yuui had said that he loved him just as much in return. Kurogane had had silly, almost laughable dreams that someday, when the two of them were a bit older, perhaps they might… Kurogane buried these dreams now. There was no hope of a happily ever after for them as a couple anymore. When Kurogane finally managed to find his voice, it was a strangled one that betrayed the heartbreak he felt. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"You…You lying bastard!! You s-stupid lying piece of shit!!" Kurogane shouted, his hands balling into shaking fists. "You s-said you loved… And I…I believed you!!"

"I do love you, Kurochan," Yuui insisted, tears rolling down his cheeks. "I do…"

Kurogane grabbed him roughly by his collar; it took every ounce of self control he possessed not to punch that stupid blond in the face.

"Don't you d-dare keep on lying!!" he snarled, wiping his eyes again fiercely on his sleeve. "And d-don't you dare address me so c-casually!!"

"It's true, K-Kurogane sama…" Yuui whispered, looking up at him pleadingly. "I do love you."

Kurogane, completely repulsed, threw his ex-lover away from him and hurriedly turned his back on him. "G-get away from me," he hissed dangerously. "If I ever see that f-fucking face of yours around here again… I'll… I'll kill you."

Yuui watched hopelessly as Kurogane ran back toward the palace, leaving him forever. The blond had to bite his lip so hard to keep himself from sobbing that he could taste his own blood in his mouth. It took all his resolve to drag his trembling frame back over to Fai's barred cell window and remove his jacket so that he could leave it with his twin.

"Here… y-you need blood," he said distantly.

Fai snatched it and sucked on it hungrily. Yuui slowly backed away from the window.

"You'll be back, won't you?" Fai called after him timidly.

"…Yes…" Yuui replied. "I just… I'll be back…later."

"I'm so sorry, Yuui," Fai said earnestly. "I really am."

Yuui didn't know how to reply to that, so he didn't say anything.

* * *

Kurogane took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to regain his composure as he wiped the water from his face. His parents had made it painfully clear before the banquette had started that he was not allowed to skip out on the proceedings early. In spite of the nasty shock he had just suffered, he really had no choice but to go back into the main dining hall and at least sit through the remainder of the ball at one of the tables.

Not wanting anyone to see that he had recently come extremely close to crying (he had always managed to wipe his eyes before any tears actually fell and that, in his mind, meant that he had not actually cried), he had gone to the fountain to wash his face in hopes that this would make it less obvious. But as he gazed at his reflection in the water's surface, he was pretty sure that his eyes were still red around the rims. He took another deep breath, forcing himself to avoid any and all thoughts about Yuui and what had just happened.

This was far easier said than done; he still couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. Maybe this was all just a bad dream. Perhaps none of it had really happened and in a few minutes he would wake up and find Fai (yes, his name would still be Fai if this turned out to be a dream) snuggled warmly against his chest, fast asleep in his arms. And when Fai woke up, Kurogane would kiss him and tell him about the extremely weird dream he had just had. Then Fai would smile sweetly at him and say something like "Don't be silly, Kurochuu; you know I would never do anything like that to you! I love you!" And Kurogane would look deep into his sparkling blue eyes and know that this was true and he would push him down on the bed and kiss him again.

Another flash of pain shot through his heart as he longed for these things. That pain, if nothing else, proved that this was real. Fai did not really love him. His name wasn't Fai. He was some kind of bloodthirsty creature, a vampire. And even when Kurogane had seen all these things, even though Fai…Yuui, he corrected himself again… Even though Yuui knew he had seen all those things, he had still looked him right in the eye and lied straight to his face yet again the cruelest lie of them all: "I _do_ love you". The prince felt the lump in his throat rising again and he swallowed hard, trying to force it and the accompanying tears back down. He splashed another handful of water on his face.

Sitting out here by himself and brooding over what had happened was not doing a damn thing for him; Kurogane forced himself to his feet and dragged himself reluctantly back into the main dining hall. To his great relief, it was mostly dark when he got there; this was, after all, a ball and that called for a romantic atmosphere. The prince made his way back to the high table, sticking close to the wall to avoid bumping into the any of the sickening number of happy couples that were busy dancing and gazing sappily into each other's eyes. Kurogane pulled out his chair and plunked down in it, staring at the tablecloth so that he wouldn't have to look at all those stupid lovers.

He was so distracted that it took him a good five minutes or so to realize that he was not alone at the table. Kurogane started when he saw someone whom he hadn't noticed before move slightly in the chair next to him. He turned towards the uninvited guest to get a better look. It was a woman, tall and slender, her extremely long dark hair gathered at the back of her head in an elegantly messy bun, pinned up by jeweled butterfly clips. She was smiling slyly at him and Kurogane could feel her clever eyes analyzing him. He didn't like it, so he slapped a scowl on his face and met her gaze evenly.

"Who the hell are you?" the prince growled.

"Hmm, so you're Kurogane?" she asked, looking amused. "You're a sour child, aren't you? Not that I didn't already know, but it's still funny."

"Hey, I asked you a question!" he snapped. "I could have you thrown out for insulting me, you know!"

"You sure are _cute_, though," the woman continued fondly, reaching out and touching his cheek. "I can see why he likes you… And in just a few years, you'll have grown into an absolutely stunning man." She sighed dreamily. "He'll be gorgeous by then, too, of course. The two of you will make a beautiful couple."

Kurogane swatted her hand away, glaring. "What the hell are you babbling about?! And don't touch me, dammit! I'm not in the mood to be screwed with!"

"I'm talking about Yuui," she said, a little more seriously now.

Kurogane felt another sudden jolt of pain in his heart at the mention of Yuui's name and quickly looked away. "Look, I don't know who the hell you think you are, but I don't wanna hear anything about that lying bastard. We're not together anymore, so you can just forget about your weird fantasy."

"It's not a fantasy," the woman assured him. "It's your future. The two of you were meant for each other, you know. What is meant to be will always work out in the end."

Kurogane was silent. He didn't see how this woman could possibly know the first thing about him and Yuui considering that he was fairly sure that he had never met her before in his life, but she spoke with such certainty that he almost found himself believing her.

"I'm Yuuko, by the way," she said finally. "I'm the witch who allowed Yuui and Fai to escape safely from their home country when it was taken over. I'm also the one who turned them both into vampires."

Kurogane's eyes widened in stunned disbelief. "What?!"

"It was necessary in order to keep them both alive, or else they would have died shortly after birth," Yuuko replied easily.

The prince stared at her, hardly able to comprehend what she was saying. It seemed ludicrous, impossible, and yet he found himself unable to dismiss it as fantasy.

"I grant wishes," she informed him smoothly. "Any wish you could possibly envision can be realized for the right price. As you might imagine, my services are quite popular."

Kurogane looked back down at the tablecloth, frowning in thought. Any wish he could possibly envision…

"You have a wish, don't you?" Yuuko asked knowingly, a slight smile returning to her lips. "This is your chance. What will you do?"

The prince clamped his eyes shut, his mind racing. _I don't have a wish,_ he told himself forcefully. _I don't want anything to do with that dumbass ever again! _

"Refusing to acknowledge your wish will do you no good," Yuuko interrupted shrewdly. "You will only end up regretting it more in the end."

Kurogane opened his eyes when he felt her touch his cheek again.

"He really does love you," she told him quietly. "He loves you more than life itself, and he didn't lie to you because he wanted to make you cry. Since everyone he has ever loved always ends up being hurt, he thought he could protect you by not letting you love him for who he really was. As I said, you were meant for each other; you two had no option but to fall in love. Knowing this, what is your decision?"

He gritted his teeth. As angry as Kurogane was with Yuui for lying to him, as much as it hurt him when he thought about what the blond had done to him, he realized that he still loved Yuui deeply. The prince sighed reluctantly. He just knew he was going to kick himself for this later.

"I've got a wish," he admitted.

* * *

Yuui got to his feet, drying his tears one last time. He decided that he wasn't going to sit around and cry anymore; he already regretted too many things that he hadn't done in his life and he was not about to allow letting Kurogane get away from him be added to the list. Yuui was going to find the prince, make him sit down and listen to his story, tell him everything that he had been hiding and beg him for forgiveness. Hadn't Kurogane just promised to always forgive him, no matter what? Yuui was going to put that promise to the test. Still, even though he knew that this was what he wanted, even though he was absolutely sure, Yuui couldn't help trembling as he made his way back to the palace.

* * *

Fei Wong Reed was getting extremely annoyed. He had been at this damn ball for three hours already and there was still no sign of those stupid boys. If Kyle had been wrong about seeing them here, he was going to get a severe spanking when they got home. The woman he was dancing with kept giggling and batting her eyes at him and running her finger along his sideburns playfully. She wasn't especially good-looking so Fei Wong decided that he wasn't really interested. He knew that he was one seriously sexy hunk of man and that he could have any woman he desired, so why should he put up with any less than the best? There was no reason for it, no reason at all.

The moment the song had finished, he bowed slightly to his partner and vanished into the crowd to find a new, more attractive one. The next song had just begun when a small figure running up toward the high table caught his eye. Upon closer examination, Fei Wong swore he felt his heart skip a beat. There was one of the twins! At last! The blond was ghostly pale, one of his sleeves ripped slightly and covered in blood and was calling out to Suwa's crown prince desperately.

Fei Wong's lips curled into an evil smile. The boy was wounded already and obviously completely distracted, not to mention that he and the prince of Suwa would soon be right next to each other, making it very easy to kill them both in one swoop; he couldn't ask for a better opportunity than this. Fei Wong reached inside his robes, his hand resting confidently on the hilt of his concealed sword. He managed to catch Kyle's eye and signaled that he had located one of their targets. Let the slaughter begin.

* * *

"So when is this wish going to come true, then?" Kurogane asked Yuuko shortly.

"Goodness, you're impatient, aren't you?" Yuuko laughed. "Don't worry, Kurogane; Yuui is already on his way. Now, about our payment…"

She paused as she cast thoughtful eye over him. "Give me the jacket," she demanded, holding out her hand.

Kurogane frowned at her. "What do you want this thing for? It's got blood on it and has a big rip across the front."

"Would you rather give me something more valuable?" Yuuko asked, arching a slender eyebrow at him.

"No," Kurogane snorted.

"Then shut up and fork it over," she grinned, holding out her hand again.

Clicking his tongue indignantly, Kurogane removed his fancy dress-jacket and handed it to her.

"Kurogane sama!" a voice shouted.

Kurogane started as he saw Yuui racing towards him.

"Ah, perfect timing!" Yuuko chirped, clapping her hands. "Things are about to get a tad messy, so I'll be on my way now, if you don't mind. Good luck, Kurogane."

And then she was gone, as suddenly as she had appeared. Kurogane didn't really care; he was too busy getting up from his chair to meet Yuui, though he waited for the blond to come to him. Yuui threw himself at Kurogane so forcefully that he knocked the prince off his feet.

"Kurogane sama, please," Yuui begged, hugging Kurogane almost painfully tight. "Please listen to me! At least let me explain everything before you decided to hate me forever!"

Kurogane hugged him back just as tightly, nuzzling his face into Yuui's golden hair. "Don't call me that, idiot," he snarled. "And I don't hate you."

Yuui pulled away slightly so that he could look at the prince in shock. "Wh-what?"

"I said I don't hate you," Kurogane repeated, blushing slightly. "And if you call me Kurogane sama one more time, I'll kick your ass."

Yuui smiled, pressing his lips joyfully against Kurogane's. "I love you, Kuronta," he breathed. Kurogane didn't reply; he just silenced him with another kiss. Then the two recently united lovers were startled rudely from their sweet reunion by a sudden glint of steel.

* * *

They were kissing now. Could they possibly make it any easier than this, Fei Wong wondered triumphantly as he rushed towards them, pulling out his sword. With their mouths pressed together like that, he could have them both beheaded with one good swipe of his blade. As he closed the final feet between him and the young couple, he drew his sword up behind his shoulder, ready to make the fatal blow.

Mere seconds before he fully reached them, he began to swing, but to his utter shock, someone else's sword blocked his, making a resounding clang as the two blades clashed. Fei Wong blinked in astonishment when he found himself suddenly staring into the furious blood-red eyes of the king of Suwa. He wasn't staring for long, though; Kurogane's father took advantage of his shock to kick him hard in the stomach, sending him flying back into one of the nearby dancing couples.

When the crowd realized that a fight was starting, everyone began screaming and running for the exits. Suwa's guards, meanwhile, were trying to force their way through the panicking crowd so that they could intercept the attacker. It was utter chaos. Kurogane's father shoved people aside as he approached the momentarily incapacitated Fei Wong. He sensed Kyle behind him just in time to dodge the servant's attack, though one of the guests was less lucky. He shouted in pain and surprise as the blade was thrust through his side and fell to the ground, writhing and bleeding.

Fei Wong was on his feet again by this time, calling his own entourage of guards into action. They didn't bother trying to push people aside; they merely cut down anyone who happened to get in their way, paving their path with the blood of innocents. Suwa's wave of guards collided with Fei Wong's with a chorus of battle cries and steel against steel. Kurogane grabbed Yuui's arm, scrambling aside just in time to miss being hit by the defeated body of one of Fei Wong's soldiers. As soon as the enemy had fallen, Kurogane darted forward and snatched up the sword that the soldier had dropped, eager to join the fray.

Yuui, however, was paralyzed with horror. _He_ was here; the traitorous advisor from Celes who had killed his parents and taken over the throne! Although Yuui was shocked to see him there, he knew instantly that this was not a coincidence; Fei Wong had come for him. He gasped as he saw a score of guards hack each other into submission, some of them Suwa's, some of them Fei Wong's. All of them were dying because of him. In selfishly trying to escape his homeland and coming here to hide, he had brought destruction once again to so many innocent people. Yuui was sure his heart was shattering.

He was jerked out of his abhorrence by a magically magnified female voice, chanting a spell over the shrieks of sheer hatred and the refrain of final moments being met. Yuui looked across the room to see Kurogane's mother surrounded by a gentle glow, her lips moving as she recited ancient magical words. The glow around her formed into small individual balls of light which then elongated into ethereal arrows. They struck down Fei Wong's guards mercilessly.

Yuui shook his head, trying to pull himself out of his daze. He had brought this war here and he had no right to just sit and watch other people fight it for him. His vampire nails shot out from his fingertips once again and he threw himself into battle. Even though Yuui knew that these guards of Fei Wong's had chosen to ally themselves with the evil king, that it had been their own decision to come here to kill and destroy, he still felt a thrill of sheer terror as he drove his saber-like claws into one of their backs. He had just killed someone with his own bare hands. He, Yuui Flowrite, was now officially a murderer.

"FATHER!!" Kurogane screamed harshly. "FATHER, NO!!"

Yuui knew even before he saw what had happened. Suwa's king had been surrounded by Fei Wong and his men, and though he was a highly skilled swordsman, he had been overcome by their sheer numbers. The king's body fell, dead before it had even hit the ground. There was a shout of victory from Fei Wong's army, mingled with Kurogane's furious, half-crazed screams.

"YOU PIECE OF SHIT MOTHER-FUCKING BASTARD!! YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!!"

Yuui forced his way closer to Kurogane, his hands shaking and covered in enemy blood which mixed with his own from the numerous gashes he had received during the fight. Thanks to the vampire blood that flowed through his veins, those gashes were already beginning to heal themselves. Tears spilled down Yuui's cheeks on behalf of the prince's loss, mingled with the self-loathing he felt for bringing Fei Wong to the palace in the first place and the guilt he felt as he was forced to gore another evil soldier.

He could see tears on Kurogane's cheeks as well as he fiercely slashed away at Fei Wong who was managing to defend himself, though Kurogane's skill combined with the strength of his righteous wrath forced him to keep backing up. The queen's magical arrows continued to strike down Fei Wong's men with terrifying accuracy, meaning that there were hardly any extras available to come to their king's aid. It was just Fei Wong against Kurogane, and even from where Yuui was standing, he could see the fear in the evil king's eyes. But Yuui could also see that Fei Wong was leading their fight worryingly close to the queen, and he was pretty sure that this was no accident.

Desperate to help Kurogane and keep the queen out of harm's way, Yuui slashed another of Fei Wong's guards and leapt over the clusters of dead and bleeding bodies that littered the floor. Kurogane swung his sword again and again, blind fury in his scarlet eyes. Since the prince was young and spry Fei Wong was no spring chicken it was really taking it out of him to keep blocking Kurogane's attacks.

Finally, the king found his back pressed against the wall and Kurogane managed to sink his blade deep into the older man's shoulder. Fei Wong screamed in agony. He was going to die, and both he and the prince knew it. Desperate for some way out, his eyes fell on the queen whose magic was still steadily picking off his men. She was a mere foot and a half away from him… Kurogane brought raised his sword, ready to deal the vengeance he had promised, his eyes gleaming manically. Fei Wong dropped his sword, his recently freed hand clutching the queen's kimono desperately.

"Kurogane, the queen!!" Yuui shrieked, his eyes wide with terror.

It was too late; Kurogane was already thrusting his sword forward, aiming for Fei Wong's heart. The prince's mind and body didn't have time to react when the king suddenly jerked Kurogane's mother in front of him, intending to use her as a shield.

"No!!" Yuui screamed.

Kurogane's blade sunk deep into his mother's body, and she made an odd sort of strangled gasp, the glow of magic suddenly vanishing from her eyes. Although Fei Wong had pulled Kurogane's mother in front of him to protect himself, Kurogane had put so much force into his swing that even this didn't save him. The sword went right through her body and into his. Fei Wong and the queen fell, both of them dead instantly.

* * *

**A/N: **Oh man, I am bad. Did you see that coming? I hope it surprised you, but it probably didn't too much. How was that action scene, by the way? I'm not used to writing action so I hope it turned out. I think I'll be wrapping this up in one more chapter. Although tragedy will strike Kurogane and Yuui (I still have trouble writing Yuui instead of Fai) one last time, there will be a fairly happy ending, I promise. I bet you can probably guess what the final tragedy will be since I alluded to it in this chapter… Anyway, I love all of your reviews sooooo much so I'd really appreciate it if you'd leave one!


	25. Weep

* * *

**A/N: **Dang, halfway done already! And with this chapter, the miniseries will be all the way done. I hope you all enjoy the conclusion!

* * *

**Weep**

Kurogane stared in wide-eyed horror at what he had done, letting the sword slip out of his hands as Fei Wong and his mother fell. Yuui stopped just behind the prince, his vampire claws retracting, his whole body trembling just as badly as Kurogane's was. He reached out hesitantly, wanting desperately to hug him, to say something that would help ease the pain, but what could he possibly say? Yuui forced himself to lower his hand. Surely Kurogane wouldn't want anything to do with him after he had caused such a thing to happen.

But when he saw Kurogane sink to his hands and knees, shaking uncontrollably, Yuui couldn't stop himself from putting a hand timidly on his shoulder. He was hurt when Kurogane jerked away from him, but he told himself that he shouldn't have expected any other sort of treatment. Kurogane's shoulders heaved with his harsh breathing as he forced himself back on his feet, picked up his sword once more and began to hack at Fei Wong's dead body over and over again in a blind rage.

"Kurogane…" Yuui said quietly. "He's already dead…"

Eventually, the prince's fury fizzled out again as grief overtook him. Yuui removed the sword gently from Kurogane's hands and put his arms around his shoulders, pulling him close. Kurogane buried his face in Yuui's chest, letting the blond hold him as quiet sobs wracked his body. Yuui hugged him, his delicate fingers stroking Kurogane's hair comfortingly. Though he knew that his heartache was nowhere near as deep as the prince's, Yuui could still feel silent tears running down his own face as well. It was a long time before he managed to force himself to speak again.

"Let's go to your room, Kurogane, alright?" Yuui whispered. "I think you should take a bath; it might help you feel a little better. Plus, you're covered in blood…"

Kurogane didn't answer, but he allowed his lover to pull him to his feet and lead him slowly back towards his room.

All the servants who had strong enough stomachs had reported to the main dining hall to begin cleaning up after the carnage so Yuui called a young female servant to run Kurogane's bath. Once it was ready, Yuui helped the broken boy into the bathroom and sat him down on the counter as he dismissed the servant girl.

"Do you want me to help you take your bath, Kurosama?" he asked softly.

Kurogane sniffled and shook his head. Yuui was torn between relief and disappointment at this answer; on one hand, he could hardly bear to let go of the prince even long enough for him to take a bath. On the other hand, they may have been in love, but they were still only children and for the two of them to take a bath together would hardly be proper. So Yuui pressed a gentle kiss to Kurogane's cheek and forced himself to release him as he backed out of the bathroom. Then he paused uncertainly.

"You… you won't do anything bad to yourself… will you, Kurosama?" he asked gravely. He had no idea what he would do if Kurogane ended up drowning himself because he was so depressed over what had happened and he didn't want to have to think about it. The prince shook his head again slowly.

"Let me know if you need anything, alright?" he offered. When he got no reply, Yuui sighed worriedly and shut the door, leaving Kurogane on his own.

* * *

Yuui sat outside with his ear pressed to the bathroom door the whole time that Kurogane was in the bath. He wanted to believe that Kurogane had been telling the truth when he had agreed not to kill himself while he was in there alone but he just wanted to be absolutely certain. When the door finally opened and Kurogane stepped out, dressed in his pajamas, the blond breathed a sigh of relief.

After Yuui had finished his own bath, he immediately pulled Kurogane close again and lied down next to him in bed. He could feel the prince's hot tears soaking into his pajama shirt as he held him and started to stroke his hair again. Even though he knew that both of them were exhausted, Yuui was fairly certain that the two of them wouldn't be doing much sleeping that night; Kurogane was too heartbroken over the fate of his parents and Yuui felt too guilty for leading Fei Wong to the Suwa palace and too worried about the prince. Still, he felt that they should at least try. Yuui heaved a shaky sigh as he turned out the lights and prepared himself for a long night.

To Yuui's amazement, he and Kurogane both managed to fall asleep for at least a few hours that night, though it wasn't a very restful sleep. Even once Kurogane had drifted off, his body still shook ceaselessly in the blond's arms. All Yuui could do was kiss him and try to hold him tighter. When morning finally came, he was disturbed to see that even the whites of Kurogane's eyes had turned a painful-looking pink color after he had spent all night crying. He wasn't crying anymore, though Yuui suspected that this may have only been because he had run out of tears.

"You look like you wanna say something," the prince croaked.

Yuui bit his lip. He knew he owed Kurogane an explanation for what had happened, but he was afraid to give it to him, still worried that it might make Kurogane hate him.

"I… I'm afraid I owe you a… a really, really big apology, Kurorin, and an explanation," Yuui said. "Really, I owe you a lot more than that but… I just don't know what else to give… I'm s-still afraid that you won't be able to forgive me after I tell you everything."

Kurogane pulled away slightly so that he could look deep into the blond's eyes. "Do you love me?" he asked.

"Yes, more than anything!" Yuui assured him.

"Then you know I'll forgive you, no matter what," Kurogane said. "I already promised, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did promise…" Yuui agreed slowly.

"Besides…you're the only one I have left now, besides Tomoyo," the prince reminded him, his voice cracking. He swallowed hard before he was able to continue. "And just so you know, you can't lie to me anymore; I made a wish to that witch—Yuuko, or whatever her name was—so don't even bother trying."

"Yuuko san was here?" Yuui gasped. "But…why?"

Kurogane sniffled and wiped his eyes before sitting up. "I think she wanted to bring us back together. She said something about us being made for each other."

Even through all the unpleasant emotions he was experiencing at that moment, Yuui couldn't help allowing himself a small smile when he heard that. He sat up beside Kurogane and hugged him, pressing a few gentle kisses to his neck and cheek.

"So is that why I feel like I never want to let Kurochan go, no matter what?" he whispered. "Is that why I feel like I want to spend forever with him; because we were made for each other?"

"I guess…" Kurogane mumbled, blushing just a little.

"I'm… so glad," Yuui breathed.

Kurogane ran his fingers through his boyfriend's hair lovingly. "So, are you going to tell me your story now, or what?"

Yuui took a deep, steadying breath. "Well, really, I told you most of it already in the story about the twin princes… There are just… a few details that I left out…"

"Like about you being a vampire," Kurogane said, just a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Yes… That was actually a deal that my parents made with Yuuko san when Fai and I were born," the smaller boy explained. "You see, there were complications with the birth and Fai and I came out in pretty bad shape. We would have died, but our parents were desperate to save us so they asked Yuuko san if there was anything that could be done. She had us both injected with vampire's blood which would give our bodies the ability to heal themselves much more quickly than normal; almost instantly. People who have died can't be brought back to life, no matter how strong of magic is used, but people who are on the verge of death can still be saved.

"Since we were destined to die at birth, though, the price for saving us was… extremely high. When a life that is fated to be lost is saved, a life that should have continued is a lot of times required to take its place in death. Our parents… sacrificed the rest of their lives so that we could live. Yuuko san was able to let them have seven years with us, to raise us, before they had to die."

"So what happened once those seven years were over?" Kurogane asked.

"That's when the attack happened on the castle." Yuui swallowed the lump that was rising in his throat and closed his eyes. "Remember… remember how I told you that it was that bad advisor of my father's who found out that Fai and I were twins? The advisor… was the king who came here last night and killed your… killed all those people."

Kurogane's scarlet eyes widened in shock. "What?!"

Yuui nodded his head in shame. "And I… As…As F-Fai and I were escaping the palace all those years ago… I had the chance to… I could have killed him… There was a perfect ch-chance and I c-couldn't do it… I could h-have prevented all of this from happening but I… I was too weak to make myself kill him… I'm s-so sorry, Kurokuro!"

Kurogane was frozen in indecision. His first instinct was to be angry, but then he stopped himself. How could he be angry at Yuui for not having the courage at age seven to murder another human being? It wasn't as though he could have looked into the future and seen that his failure to kill Fei Wong when he had the chance would cause the love of his life to suffer so deeply later on. It still tortured him of course to know that all of this could have been avoided but he really couldn't blame that on Yuui.

"Hey, I'm not mad at you, all right?" Kurogane said gruffly, kissing the top of Yuui's head.

Still, the blond couldn't help feeling horribly guilty. It took him several minutes before he was able to collect himself enough to continue.

"You heard Fai and me talking l-last night about why he was in jail, right?"

"Yeah, I get that now," Kurogane nodded. "But what was that stuff about losing contact with each other?"

"Well, normally, Fai and I are able to communicate telepathically," Yuui explained. "But since he wasn't able to get enough blood, I guess his magic got so weak that we weren't able to talk to each other that way anymore… When we lost contact with each other, I… I was so afraid at first that he was dead…"

Kurogane contemplated that answer. "That still doesn't explain why you took his name."

"That was because Yuui was the name both of us used in public before everyone found out we were twins…" he replied. "I was afraid someone might recognize it and make a big deal out of it. Then Fei Wong would have known where to find me right away."

"You know, if you would have just asked me, I would have had him released for you," Kurogane told him irritably. "And I can't believe you thought I would start hating you just because you couldn't make yourself steal from people and got him to do it for you instead. You're such an idiot."

Yuui bowed his head in shame. "Well, if…if it's ok with Kuropon, could you have him released now? I'm so worried about him…"

"I guess I might as well, huh? There's no point in him staying in there any longer for a stupid little thing like stealing." Kurogane sighed and slid off the bed, taking Yuui's hand so that the two of them could go down to the jail together.

* * *

"Your majesty!" the prison guard gasped. "What are you doing down here?! I thought for sure you'd be…"

"I'm here to have someone released," the prince cut in.

The guard stared at him for a moment, surprised by this response. "Released, your majesty? Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't be down here telling you to let one of the prisoners go if I wasn't even sure that's what I wanted," Kurogane replied impatiently.

"Yes, your highness," the guard said apologetically, bowing slightly. "Which one did you want released?"

"He's my twin brother," Yuui piped up. "He's got really long blond hair and he's really skinny."

The guard blanched. "You mean that creepy kid who was trying to drink blood from his cellmate?"

"Hey, we didn't ask your damn opinion about him!" Kurogane snapped. "Just let him go!"

The guard shuffled his feet awkwardly. "I'm sorry, your majesty, but… I'm afraid I can't do that…"

"Why the hell not?!" Kurogane demanded.

"Well, you see… he… he died last night."

"What?!" Yuui yelped, his eyes wide with shock and horror.

"I've never seen anything like it," the guard continued slowly. "He got really sick all of a sudden and started throwing up like crazy and an hour or two later, he was gone."

Kurogane looked numbly over at Yuui who had sunk to his knees, trembling violently, tears spilling down his cheeks. "…And you don't have any idea what caused it?"

"Not in the slightest," the guard admitted, looking nervously between Yuui and the prince. "The only unusual thing that we were able to find in his cell was a jacket with a bloody sleeve. It looked like he had been sucking on it and somehow that did something to him…"

Yuui gasped sharply, his eyes so wide that they almost looked like they might fall out of his sockets if he opened them any wider. "N-no…" he choked. "Could some of m-my blood have been…"

Kurogane understood then and it made him feel as though his insides had suddenly turned to ice. He had heard Fai tell Yuui last night that vampire's blood was poisonous to other vampires. Yuui must have given Fai his bloodied jacket in hopes of getting him some of the blood he needed without knowing he had been injured as well, causing it to be tainted with his blood.

"It's all… my f-fault…" Yuui whimpered.

Kurogane reached out to touch him comfortingly but the blond suddenly burst out screaming, startling him so badly that he jerked his hand away.

"I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE ONE TO DIE!! IT'S ALL MY FAULT!! I SHOULD BE DEAD!! OH GOD, PLEASE LET ME DIE!!" he sobbed, pounding the stone floor bitterly with his little fists.

The guard looked a bit scared by Yuui's outburst and backed away slightly. Kurogane, however, stepped forward. He scooped Yuui's thrashing frame into his arms and held him tightly so that he couldn't hurt himself. The prince nodded once to the guard and carried Yuui, screaming and struggling, away from the jail.

* * *

Kurogane had to hold his lover for a long time before he stopped squirming and trying to get loose so that he could find something to hurt himself with. Eventually, however, Yuui became still, realizing that the prince had no intention of letting him go, and just sobbed in his arms. Kurogane thought about trying to console him by saying that he knew how he felt. Then he realized that this would probably just make Yuui feel worse since he blamed himself for the fact that Fei Wong had come to the palace in the first place.

When it crossed Kurogane's mind again that his parents were really gone, that Fei Wong had forced him to bring about the death of his own mother, that he would never see either of them ever again, tears came to his scarlet eyes once more. It didn't help to know that Yuui was equally, if not more miserable than he was. He didn't want Yuui to suffer anymore than he wanted to suffer himself. The prince closed his eyes, letting his tears roll down his cheeks and fall into Yuui's golden hair. Normally so much crying would have disgusted him but he felt that, given the circumstances, both of them were more than entitled to bawl their eyes out.

It wasn't until almost a whole week and a half later, two days after the funeral of Kurogane's parents, that their moods finally regained some stability. Both he and Yuui had lost some weight, though whether this was because neither of them had had much of an appetite since the incident or because they had actually cried three or four pounds worth of tears Kurogane wasn't sure (though the former was decidedly more likely).

Fujitaka had approached them both solemnly after the funeral. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Prince Kurogane, and yours too, Fai kun… er, Prince Yuui." (Yuui had decided that Fujitaka, since he had been the one to bring him to this place and allowed him to meet Kurogane, deserved to know the truth about him so he had spilled the whole thing.) "Ah… I hate to have to dump this on you at a time like this, but… the country needs a king, Prince Kurogane, and you are the rightful heir to the throne," Fujitaka reminded him. "You don't have to do it right now, of course, but you really ought to have your coronation ceremony sometime in the next couple of days…"

It was a good thing that Fujitaka had reminded him, really; his duty to his country hadn't exactly been heavy on his mind what with his parents' deaths and all. But shortly after Fujitaka had said that, an idea had occurred to the prince, one that refused to leave him alone. Since Fei Wong was now also dead, as was the real Fai, Yuui was now the only remaining heir to the throne in his country, too. Did that mean that Yuui would have to leave him in order to go back and rule Celes? At first Kurogane had agonized over this prospect, but then his idea had occurred to him… It was kind of wild; he wasn't sure how his subjects would feel about such a thing. He was fairly certain it had never been done in the whole history of Suwa before, nor had he had he ever heard of it happening anywhere else. That aside, however, he saw no reason why it shouldn't work…

Still, Kurogane had to ask Yuui what he thought of the idea, and that was the part that he found the hardest. In fact, the very idea terrified him. He was pretty sure he already knew that Yuui would agree but for some reason that didn't make it any easier. Every time he even thought about it, it made his stomach clench with fear. Kurogane tried to inject some courage into himself by telling himself that the alternative would be so much worse. As far as he could see, it was either this or Yuui would have to return to Celes. He definitely knew which he preferred. He didn't think he would be able to take it if Yuui had to leave him. Perhaps he ought to ask Tomoyo's advice. She may be younger than him, but she had wisdom beyond her years.

"Hello, Kurogane," Tomoyo said, smiling sadly at him. Kurogane allowed her to hug him. "How are you doing?"

Kurogane sighed and forced down the familiar lump in his throat at her question. "I'll live," he mumbled.

"You're still hurting pretty badly, aren't you?" she asked softly. "I would have come to be with you right away, but I figured you'd rather have Fai kun comfort you."

Kurogane honestly wasn't sure which one of them he would have preferred. Although he loved Yuui deeply, he knew Tomoyo much better and was thus more comfortable around her. Neither one of them would ever tease him or think of him as weak for being heartbroken over the death of his parents, especially since they had been killed right before his very eyes. Between the two of them, he decided would rather have avoided letting Yuui see him cry if he had been given the option. Still, he had appreciated his kisses… Never mind, he was letting himself be distracted from the real reason that he had come.

"Actually, the reason I'm here is to ask for your advice about something," he said, blushing. Tomoyo might not have teased him about crying over the loss of his parents, but he knew she had no trouble teasing him about his coming to her for advice, and this was (in his opinion) a delicate subject to begin with.

A hint of a mischievous smile flashed briefly across her lips but she suppressed it for him. The poor boy was going through enough torture already with out her picking on him; she decided that she could spare him, just this once.

"Really? What about?" Tomoyo asked, smiling.

"Well, ah…" Kurogane broke off, rubbing the back of his neck embarrassedly. "First, you have to promise not to give me any crap about it. I'm really not in the mood to hear it."

"How mean," she pouted, "denying a little girl her fun like that! I'm really going to love what you're about to ask me, aren't I?"

"Yeah, you're probably gonna have a freaking field day with this one," Kurogane admitted, avoiding her knowing violet gaze.

"How exciting!" she chirped. "I can't wait to hear it!"

"Nice try, but you didn't promise not to give me any crap about it yet," Kurogane said shrewdly. "I'm not telling you until you promise."

"Well, I guess it can't be helped," she sighed regretfully. "Alright, then; I promise."

Kurogane's blush deepened and he had to take a deep breath before he could force himself to explain the situation and tell her his idea. Once he got going though, he spoke very quickly, as though speeding it up would help ease some of his embarrassment. As expected, Tomoyo's whole face lit up when she heard his proposition. The more he said about it, the more excited she seemed to become until she was bouncing up and down and clapping her hands.

"Oh, Kurogane! That's wonderful!" she squealed. "You and Yuui kun… how adorable! I love it!"

"So you…think I should do it, then?" he asked nervously.

"Of course! Ooh, I can hardly wait!" Tomoyo gushed. "But you can't just ask him, you have to have the right atmosphere, the right timing… Kyaa! I'm so excited! When are you going to do it?! Tomorrow?! Tonight?!"

"I hadn't really thought that far ahead yet…" Kurogane replied dazedly. He couldn't believe he was actually going to go through with this (now that he had suggested the idea to Tomoyo and gained her highly enthusiastic support, it had basically been decided for him. There was no going back now).

"There's so much planning to do!" Tomoyo continued eagerly. "Have you told anyone else that you were thinking about doing this?"

"No, and you're not telling anyone either," he said sharply. "Not until he gives me his answer."

"Right, I won't say a word," she hissed excitedly, putting a finger to her lips. "Are you busy? We can start making the plans right now!"

"Now?" he repeated, looking shocked. This was all happening way too fast.

"Of course! Suwa and Celes can't go for long without rulers!" Tomoyo reminded him. "The sooner you do it, the better!"

"I guess you're right…" the prince admitted reluctantly. It wasn't that he was any less thrilled about his plan than Tomoyo, but the thought of actually putting it into action was almost too much for him to bear. Kurogane hoped he wouldn't lose his nerve right at the last second; that would be terrible.

"Oh, and Kurogane," Tomoyo added, interrupting his stunned whirlwind of thoughts. "You have to promise to let me make your outfits if he agrees, alright?!"

* * *

"Ok, you can open your eyes now," Kurogane said.

Yuui opened his eyes and gasped. It was dark out and the prince had led him outside to the garden. The perimeter was illuminated by dozens of what appeared to be oversized fireflies, shedding their light on the vast array of blooms that made their home in the garden so that they could be seen even though it was night time. The flowers, which had recently been misted, were covered with glimmering water droplets. A small white table had been set up in the middle of the enclosure and on top of it sat two candles, a silver ice bucket containing a bottle of something that looked like wine and a small bouquet of lilies.

"Oh, Kurochuu… It's beautiful!" Yuui breathed.

Even with the tragedy that had befallen both of them just two weeks ago, the blond couldn't help feeling ecstatic; this was their first date since the ball and he had been worried that it might be a long time before they had another one. Yuui turned around and kissed Kurogane's lips gratefully. Then he noticed that Kurogane was trembling and he frowned slightly.

"What's the matter, Kuropii?" he asked worriedly. "Are you cold?"

"No, just…" Kurogane stopped. He couldn't tell Yuui that he was shaking because he was so nervous about what he was about to do. That would ruin the element of surprise.

"It's nothing," he lied finally. "Just forget it."

When Yuui continued to look concerned, he took the smaller boy's hand and led him over to the table where he pulled his chair out for him.

"Hyuu! When did Kurochii become such a gentleman?" Yuui teased as he sat down.

"Shut up," the prince grumbled, taking his own seat across the table from him. Touya came out to bring them a covered silver platter, then bowed slightly and went back inside. Kurogane took the bottle from the ice bucket and popped the cork.

"Is that wine, Kuronpyu?" Yuui asked, surprised.

"Don't be stupid," he snorted. "We're too young to drink wine. It's sparkling grape juice."

Yuui giggled as Kurogane poured him a glass. "Goodness, Kurorinta's really pulling out all the stops tonight, isn't he? We've got sparkling grape juice and everything!"

"Look, you idiot," Kurogane growled, "if you're just gonna make jokes the whole time then you can go back inside and eat by yourself!"

Yuui smiled and put his hand on top of Kurogane's and rubbed the back of it lovingly with his thumb. "I'm just trying to have a little fun with you, Kuropin. You don't have to get all mad about it."

"Hmph," Kurogane huffed, looking sullenly away.

Yuui leaned forward and removed the lid from the covered dish.

"Ooh, pasta with chicken and white sauce!" he chirped. "It smells so yummy!"

He picked up the serving fork and scooped some onto his plate. "I'm surprised Kuromyuu didn't pick food from Suwa for our date!"

Kurogane shrugged as he helped himself to a slice of bread. "I thought you might like this better."

"Mm! It's amazing!" Yuui trilled after he had tried a bite.

The prince said nothing, though Yuui could tell by the way he bowed his head and blushed slightly that he was pleased that Yuui thought he had made a good choice.

"So what's all this for?" the blond asked sweetly, twirling more noodles around his fork. "Don't tell me Kuropiko put all this effort into planning a special date for no reason."

"Actually…" Kurogane could feel his face getting very hot. He hadn't planned on revealing his intentions so early; he had expected to at least hold out until they had finished eating. "I'll… tell you after supper."

"Hmm? Why can't you just tell me now?" Yuui asked with a little pout.

What answer could he give? He couldn't tell him that it was because Tomoyo had said that the perfect time to ask Yuui what he thought about his plan would be after dinner.

"Oh, I get it," the blond said. "It's another surprise, huh?"

Kurogane felt a little rush of relief that he had been spared having to make up some reason. "Yeah, I guess so…"

Yuui sighed and took a sip of his grape juice. "Well, it still makes me really happy, even if Kurowanwan is a meanie and won't tell me why we're having it."

Kurogane rolled his eyes. The two of them ate in silence for a moment, then Yuui spoke up again.

"So Kurokuro is gonna become king in a few days, huh?" he said. "Are you excited?"

"I'd rather be a warrior," Kurogane told him. "Being king sounds like it'll be a pain in the ass."

"Don't be like that, Oujiwanko," Yuui giggled. "I think you'll have fun doing it."

"What about you?" he demanded. "Your country doesn't have a king right now and you're the heir. Are you gonna go back and be king?"

Yuui looked down at the table sadly. "Well, I… I know I should, but… I really don't want to leave you, Kuropipi. I'd be way too lonely without you!"

Kurogane hesitated. This seemed as good a time as any to ask Yuui his question. "Hey, there's something I've been wanting to ask you…"

"Hmm? What is it, Kuropun?" Yuui asked, tilting his head cutely.

"What would you think about combining our kingdoms into one big one?"

Yuui blinked in surprise. "You mean you want to rule both of them?"

"No, I…" The prince tugged nervously at his collar, then picked up the bouquet of lilies from the table and shoved them into Yuui's arms.

"…I'm a little confused, Kuropyon," the blond admitted, smiling at him.

"Look at them," Kurogane ordered, his face crimson.

Yuui looked down at the flowers in his hands, puzzled. Suddenly, he noticed something glimmering inside one of them. He stuck his fingers in to pull it out; it was a golden ring with tiny diamonds studded across the outside. The blond stared at it, nonplussed.

Kurogane cleared his throat and took the ring from him. "Actually, I was thinking…" he began, getting out of his chair so that he could kneel on one knee in front of the smaller boy. He took Yuui's hand and slipped the ring onto his finger. "Maybe we could rule them together."

"Eh?!" Yuui gasped, his eyes widening as he finally began to understand Kurogane's intentions. "Are you… asking me to marry you?!"

"Are you going to give me an answer or are you just gonna sit there and look like a moron?" Kurogane growled, his face crimson.

Yuui stared at the ring on his finger for a couple seconds longer, stunned. Eventually, his face broke into a smile and he leaned forward so that he could throw his arms around Kurogane's shoulders.

"Yes," he breathed, pressing his lips against the prince's. "My answer is yes, Kurosama."

* * *

**A/N: **Hmm, so there she is. The miniseries is over. Was that ending ok? I hope everyone isn't too angry with Yuui for what happened to be happy with the way it ended! But before you shoot me for making them get married so young, let me just defend myself by saying that something like this wouldn't have been too uncommon back in the feudal times. Anyway, Romeo and Juliet, the protagonists of what is considered to be the greatest love story of all time, were only thirteen and they had sex without ever getting married. At least mine wasn't as bad as that.

I'll miss this miniseries, although I'm excited to get started on the next one-shot. I've already got it planned out and I think it'll be a lot of fun to write. It will feature Dog!Kurogane and Cat!Fai. It's another AU, so it's not going to be one of those type of stories where they land in some country and find out that they've turned into cats and dogs; they actually are cats and dogs. So we'll see how that goes, I guess. The next challenge will be "mendicant". Stay tuned.


	26. Mendicant

**A/N: **I'm back! Did you miss me? I come bringing fluff and humor to balance out the angst of the most recent chapters!

I actually did a bit of research for this one because I wanted to try to figure out what breed of dog Kurogane most closely resembled. After looking through a ridiculous number of pictures, I found one that worked: the Belgian sheepdog. I'm not talking about one of those ridiculous-looking white things whose eyes are hidden by their hair that you most likely think of when you hear the word "sheepdog". If you want to see what one looks like, just search for it on Google images. It looks just like the big doggy that Fai drew in Outo!

Also, I know that Fai is supposed to be the big kitty, but I thought I could have more fun with this fic if I made him a kitten. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

**Mendicant **/mendikent/ _adj. & n.- adj. _**1** begging. 2 (of a friar) living solely on alms. _n. _**1 **a beggar.** 2 **a mendicant friar.

* * *

**Mendicant**

Kurogane nosed eagerly through the garbage. He could smell something good in there somewhere and he wanted it. It was meat, cooked, judging by the scent of it, and might even have condiments on it. There were too many other smells mixed with it from the rest of the garbage, but he was pretty sure he was hot on the trail of a half-eaten burger. Those, for him, were a rare and deeply appreciated delicacy. Not quite as good as a whole burger, but infinitely preferable to the crap he usually ended up eating.

Another dog, scruffy and dirty, sauntered up behind him but Kurogane heard him coming instantly and whipped around to give him a warning growl. The other dog lowered its ears and slunk away, disappointed. The Belgian sheepdog snorted in satisfaction at the success of his scare tactics and went back to digging in the garbage. Although Kurogane was a loner and there were plenty of little gangs of strays in his area, all of the other dogs knew better than to bother him. He ruled the back alleys of his town with an iron paw and anyone who dared to challenge his authority would most likely end up dead or at least with their tail chewed off.

At last he found it: the burger he had been searching for. And to Kurogane's delight, it turned out to be a Big Mac. Oh, heavenly spoils! The Belgian sheepdog snapped it up greedily, being careful to get every last crumb of it. It was quite possibly the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.

After making absolutely certain that there was nothing else of interest in that particular garbage can, Kurogane stalked off, his tail wagging slightly with gratitude for the fancy meal he had managed to stumble across. Now that his face wasn't half buried in refuse, he turned his nose toward the sky. It smelled like rain. Kurogane let out a little snarl of irritation. That meant he would have to search out somewhere dry to spend the night. He didn't really like getting wet because his fur tended to poof out as he dried, making him look utterly ridiculous. Although he had proven his extreme levels of badass plenty of times, he could still tell that the other dogs had a lot harder time taking him seriously when he was all fluffy. Hell, he even had a hard time taking himself seriously when he was all fluffy. Kurogane figured that he might as well start looking for a place now.

Kurogane wandered the streets aimlessly. As he passed by, he saw several humans jump and hurriedly avert their eyes and those who had children picked them up and quickened their pace, clearly afraid that he might attack them. Kurogane ignored them. There had been a time when he, as a puppy, had enjoyed messing with them by following them for a few blocks or sticking his nose into the women's purses when they weren't pay attention and scaring the shit out of them when they noticed him there. These days he didn't have much desire to play such pranks. There was really no point to them and they had lost their novelty after doing it so many times.

Eventually, Kurogane was fortunate enough to stumble across an empty construction site with several large cement tubes stacked in a pile on its premises. After sniffing around them a bit, the Belgian sheepdog decided that these would serve his purpose nicely. He marked them with his scent to make sure everyone would know that they were his; he didn't want to come back later that night and find any bitches hanging out in his tubes (pun intended). As much as Kurogane loved being the single top dog in town, he had to admit that it got kind of lonely being on his own all the time. Still, that didn't mean that he wanted other dogs invading his territory.

The sun was beginning to set and Kurogane could see the clouds getting thicker overhead. He scratched himself behind the ear with his back foot unconcernedly. In spite of the fact that it made his fur fluffy when he stayed out in it, he really didn't mind the rain. It made a soothing sort of melody for him to fall asleep to at night and when he got up in the morning there were usually puddles on the ground which provided more convenient sources of drinking water.

When he felt the first raindrop hit him on the nose, Kurogane retreated into one of the tunnels and curled up inside to watch the rain fall. He wondered how much more enjoyable it would be to watch the rain if he had someone to do it with. Kurogane shook his head, trying to convince himself that it would suck because whoever it was would probably end up being noisy. Yet he couldn't quite shake the feeling that he was missing out on something…

* * *

Kurogane cracked open one scarlet eye. The rain had escalated into a torrential downpour and it was still dark out. So why the hell was he awake? With a little snort of annoyance, he shut his eye again and tried to go back to sleep. Then he heard it again; the noise that had awoken him in the first place. It was coming from somewhere far off and hardly rose above the roar of the rain, a desperate, high-pitched mewing sound. Kurogane snarled and put his paws over his ears. It was probably some damn alley cat that had been involved in a fight and lost. But it quickly became clear that he wouldn't be comfortable enough with his paws over his ears to fall asleep again. He would have to find the stupid beast and put it out of its misery.

Growling, the Belgian sheepdog got to his feet and stretched before venturing out into the storm. The rain was freezing; if he hadn't had his thick shaggy coat to protect him from it, he would have turned around and went right back into his tunnel. Kurogane picked up his pace as he followed the meowing. He wanted to get this over with and go back to sleep. Kurogane barreled through the downpour, down one alley, then another, and another.

He was close now, but the fact that it had hardly become any louder caused him to think that maybe noise was being made by a kitten. Kurogane had met a lot of cats in his days, but he had never heard a full-grown cat make a sound that high-pitched. It probably would have hurt his ears if it wasn't so quiet. Perhaps he should be glad that it was a kitten, though; they were small and made a perfect midnight snack. Kurogane couldn't help wondering why he was being granted such extravagant dining experiences tonight; he never went after kittens because there tended to be vicious mother cats with sharp claws nearby. But he wasn't one to scoff at a good meal when it was presented to him so willingly. He would take great pleasure in eating this one. The little creature may be small, but it sure could holler.

Finally, Kurogane came to a cardboard box from which the meowing seemed to be emanating. The Belgian sheepdog put his paws on the rim so that he could look down inside. His eyes were met by oversized sparkling blue ones which belonged to the most pathetic-looking kitten he had ever seen, pure black with a tiny black nose to match. Actually, the little thing might have been kind of cute if it hadn't been soaked to the bone. When the kitten saw him, it mewed at him pleadingly. Its cardboard box was filling with water and if he left it there, it would most likely drown by morning.

Even though he usually had no sympathy for cats, he couldn't help feeling just a little bit sorry for this one. The way it was sitting in this cardboard box that it was clearly incapable of getting in or out of on its own led him to believe that it had been abandoned by some humans. It was thin, but it didn't have the starved look of most alley cats. The kitten shivered in the rain as it waited for him to decide whether he would have mercy on it or not. It gave another pitiful meow as if in an attempt to plead its case. Eventually Kurogane sighed and picked the kitten up carefully with his mouth by its scruff. It mewed in gratitude and relief but wisely fell silent after that.

_Thank you for saving me, Doggy san._

Reluctantly, Kurogane took the kitten back to his hideout in the concrete tubes. Once he was inside, he shook himself off, splattering water everywhere. The sheepdog waited for the kitten to do the same but it just sat there stupidly, looking scandalized that he had splashed it. Kurogane rolled his eyes, showing that he didn't really care one way or the other whether the dumb cat wanted to stay wet or not.

He lay down again and closed his eyes. For about three seconds, he thought they might just leave it at that and let sleeping dogs lie (again, pun intended). Then he felt a rough little sandpaper tongue lick the tip of his nose. Kurogane snarled as he opened his eyes once more. This damn cat had a lot of nerve, waking him up in the middle of the night, making him go out in the rain to save its sorry ass, making him take it home with him and now it was going to bother him further, after all he had done for it?!

The kitten shivered again and meowed softly, a quiet request for help. Kurogane wasn't exactly sure what it expected him to do for it. It was still dripping wet and it seemed not to know how to shake itself off like he had. Perhaps it wanted him to help it dry off. He had memories of his mother licking him dry as a puppy when they had been out in the rain.

Realizing the kitten wasn't going to let him sleep until he assisted it, Kurogane snorted irritably again and began to lick it. He moved his tongue along its black fur backwards, causing the fur to remain standing up it his wake. It looked ridiculous. The kitten didn't seem to care how it looked; it just sat there, letting him take care of it. As he was licking, Kurogane learned a few things about his new companion. First of all, "it" was a boy. Secondly, he smelled far too nice to have lived his life on the streets which pretty much confirmed Kurogane's theory that he had been abandoned.

The third thing he learned was that the kitten shed. Kurogane could feel hair sticking to his tongue and it made him want to gag. He knew better than to swallow, though; it was degrading enough that he had welcomed this thing into his hideout and had proceeded to lick him dry, and he was not about to spend the rest of the night hacking up hairballs. As soon as he had finished helping the kitten get dried off, Kurogane began to lick the wall of the concrete tube, trying desperately to get the excess fur off his tongue. Stupid kitten; he owed him, big time.

Meanwhile, the kitten climbed up onto his savior's back, looking for a spot to get comfortable. Kurogane growled warningly at him but the kitten showed no concern whatsoever. He found a spot on the back of the sheepdog's neck that seemed satisfactory and began to knead the area with his tiny paws in preparation to lie down. Kurogane gritted his teeth, fighting against an almost overpowering urge to stand up suddenly and crush the little beast between the ceiling of the tube and his back. Finally the kitten stopped kneading and curled up warmly on the back of Kurogane's neck where he promptly fell asleep. Kurogane sighed and closed his eyes again. The kitten had gotten lucky this time, but if he bothered him one more time, he swore he would eat him on the spot, no questions asked.

* * *

The next time the dog opened his eyes it was morning. The rain had stopped and the sun was out in full force, apparently trying to make up for its early disappearance the previous day. At first Kurogane thought he had awoken in a good mood, but then he felt the sharp little pangs in his tail and an odd little rumbling noise. He sat up abruptly to see what was going on. There sat the little black kitten that he had rescued last night. He was purring loudly as he swatted and nipped at the sheepdog's tail playfully. Kurogane growled at him. If the kitten had some beef with him, let him take it up with him to his face and leave his poor tail out of it.

As soon as the kitten saw that he was awake, it meowed happily. Apparently he thought he had made a new friend. Well, he'd thought wrong; Kurogane snorted and turned his head away in refusal. The kitten didn't seem at all deterred by that, however. He merely strolled around to the front of the dog and rubbed affectionately against his front legs as he continued to purr. Kurogane was once again considering eating him, then he remembered how he had shed the night before and imagined that fur coating not only his tongue but his throat as well. The thought made him want to mow his head along the ground. He supposed that eating his annoying little guest wasn't really an option after all.

_My name is Fai! What's yours?_

…_It's Kurogane._

_Kurogane, huh? That's a weird name… Anyway, let's be friends!_

_Yeah, I don't think so._

Kurogane promised himself right then and there that he was never taking in another stray again. He hadn't been with this stray for long, but already Fai was pissing him off and it didn't look like he'd be getting rid of him anytime soon. Admittedly, though, now that the tiny black kitten was dry, he was absolutely adorable. His fur looked so fluffy and smooth that Kurogane found himself wishing he could touch it. Not that he couldn't if he really wanted to, but that would just be weird. Plus, he doubted that that would be an effective way of letting Fai know that he wasn't wanted here anymore.

Eventually, Fai got tired of rubbing against him and trotted out in front of him, sat down, and mewed expectantly. Kurogane stared at him blankly. When Fai's request received no reaction, he mewed again, holding it out longer this time. The sheepdog was confused; what did Fai expect from him now? Clearly he wanted something but Kurogane had no idea what that something might be.

Not until Fai approached him again and began nuzzling his nose along the underside of Kurogane's belly, searching for a source of milk, did he understand. The kitten was hungry and expected Kurogane to feed him. Kurogane growled. This little critter had a lot of audacity considering that it was hardly more than a fluffy tennis ball. Still, he supposed that he was a little bit hungry himself… Kurogane sighed resignedly and turned to venture out in search of food. He paused at the opening of the concrete tube and looked over his shoulder at Fai.

_Stay._

The kitten meowed back at him cheerfully and it sounded suspiciously as though he was trying to say something like _Good luck, Kurowanwan! I'll have kisses ready for you when you get back!_ Kurogane hoped that he had misunderstood because that really wasn't much of an incentive for him to return. In fact, it was more like an incentive for him not to return. But whatever; the sheepdog exited the tube at a dutiful trot, determined to bring back some food.

* * *

Kurogane returned to the tube, dejected. All he had managed to find were some fish sticks and two pieces of old pizza. If he had been looking for a meal just for him, that might have just been enough, but there was no way it could feed two of them. For some reason, Kurogane felt as though he had let Fai down. The kitten had been looking to him to take care of him and he had pretty much failed. Then Kurogane shook himself; why should he care if he wasn't able to cater to that lazy freeloading cat? Still, he couldn't help feeling just a little bit guilty.

As the sheepdog neared the concrete tube, however, he caught a strong and tantalizing whiff of chicken. Mouth watering, Kurogane followed the scent and to his immense surprise it led him straight to his own hideout. Fai was sitting in the opening of the tube, waiting for him. When he saw Kurogane coming, he meowed a greeting. Kurogane looked over the top of Fai's fluffy little head and let his mouth fall open in shock when he saw what looked like a whole roasted chicken sitting there.

_Where the hell did you get that?!_

_Oh, it was easy, Kurowanko; all I had to do was say "please"!_

Kurogane looked from Fai to the chicken, stunned. Fai just grinned at him and turned around so that he could begin to partake of their feast. The dog dropped his meager findings, feeling slightly miffed. How had that fluffy little squirt managed to find such an amazing treat when he, an experienced garbage-raider, had hardly been able to come up with enough food to feed himself? And why the hell had Fai even bothered sending him out for food if he could get a whole freaking roasted chicken so easily on his own? Kurogane ripped a leg off of the chicken and started to eat. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd had fresh food. It tasted wonderful. Maybe this kitten wasn't so bad after all.

After Fai had eaten his fill, he started the ritual after-meal grooming process. This was one thing about cats that Kurogane found mysterious. Why, after eating anything at all, did cats insist on grooming every inch of their bodies, even places that had had absolutely no contact with the food whatsoever? But maybe Fai did look just a little bit cute as he washed his delicate paws and behind his ears.

Kurogane snorted and went back to his chicken. What the hell was he doing, staring at that oversized rat? What would become of his badass reputation if the other dogs in the area found out that he was taking care of that thing, treating it like his own puppy? He decided he'd rather not think about it. Whatever would happen, he was sure it wouldn't be good.

Once Kurogane had polished off the rest of the chicken, he gave his lips a quick once-over with his tongue. That was as close as he got to an "after-dinner grooming"; he didn't need to take a whole freaking bath every time he finished eating something. Kurogane glanced down at the kitten and was mildly amused when he saw him wrinkling his little black nose in disgust.

_Umm… You missed a couple spots, Kurowanta._

_I didn't miss them; I'm just not gonna do them._

_But that's yucky! …Do you want me to do it for you?_

_Don't you dare, you fluffy little bastard!_

Fai shook his head in disbelief. Dogs had terrible hygiene. Kurogane shook his head in disbelief. Cats had ridiculous hygiene.

* * *

Kurogane lie snarling inside the concrete tube. This "babysitting the kitty" thing was really, really starting to piss him off. He had serious alpha-male dog stuff to do but every time he tried to head off and do them, Fai insisted on following. That was completely out of the question; an alpha-male dog could not have an adorable fluffy kitten prancing around after him everywhere he went.

And Fai did prance. In fact, he was prancing now as Kurogane watched him trailing a yellow butterfly across the empty construction site. It made the sheepdog sick just to watch… At least that was what he told himself. In reality, maybe he didn't mind seeing Fai prance back and forth across the lot. Fai leapt into the air and made a swipe for the butterfly but it easily avoided him. The kitten watched disappointedly as the butterfly drifted high out of his reach and vanished from sight.

Without the insect to distract him, Fai trotted back over to Kurogane in hopes of finding entertainment. Kurogane hurriedly pretended to be asleep thinking that this might keep Fai from bothering him. The kitten stopped when he saw that the sheepdog's eyes were closed and tilted his head quizzically. Kurogane opened his eyes just a slit so that he could watch him. He couldn't quite tell whether his act was fooling him but it seemed to be working. Fai came closer and sniffed around Kurogane's face; it took every ounce of self-control he possessed not to jump up and take a nip at him. That would teach him to bother a dog when he was trying to sleep.

Fai tagged Kurogane's nose with his paw playfully and immediately jumped back in case it woke him. Reflexively, Kurogane's tongue shot out to lick himself where Fai had touched him. This seemed to amuse Fai because he tagged Kurogane's nose again so that he could watch his tongue come out once more. The sheepdog was starting to get really annoyed. If Fai kept this up, he really was going to snap at him. What bothered him almost as much was the fact that he couldn't seem to keep from licking his nose when Fai pawed at it. He had always prided himself as having perfect control over every aspect of his body but this was one reflex that he couldn't seem to suppress.

Fai found this reflex funny. He wondered how he could take advantage of it. By this point, he was pretty sure that Kurogane was just pretending to be asleep so that he wouldn't have to play with him. He pawed Kurogane's nose again, but this time instead of jumping back, he leaned forward and as soon as the dog's tongue came out, Fai licked it. That got the kind of reaction he'd been hoping for!

Kurogane, enraged, jumped to his feet, his eyes snapping open and blazing with fury. That kitten was going to get it for stealing tongue kisses! If he'd been capable of blushing, his face would have been as scarlet as his eyes. Fai meowed in excited terror, knowing that he was in serious doo-doo for his little escapade. Kurogane lunged at him, barking madly as Fai scampered away across the grass.

The kitten dashed into a patch of tall grass, hoping to lose the enraged dog. Even as he crouched low among the weeds, hiding from Kurogane's certain wrath, Fai couldn't help feeling extremely glad that he had been the one to rescue him the previous night. The big doggy was so cute and fun to play with! Kurogane stuck his face into the tall grass, sniffing around for a hint of the kitten's scent. As soon as he found Fai, he swore he'd eat him. He didn't even care about the shedding.

Fai retreated, intending to sneak out through the side then loop around behind Kurogane and pounce on his tail. With some difficulty he pushed his way quietly through the tall grass. He could just see it starting to thin out in front of him, signaling that he had almost made it out of the weeds. Just as he was about to creep out of them, he found his way blocked by what had to be the most horrifying creature he'd ever seen. It was fat, long, covered with brown and black hair, and had two huge gross black eyes on the front of its face. As Fai stared, it inched its way closer to him along the blades of grass which bowed under its weight. Completely forgetting about his plan to surprise Kurogane, Fai jumped backwards with a strangled meow of fear.

When Kurogane heard the kitten's startled meow, his ears perked up. Judging by the hissing and spitting that followed, it sounded like Fai was in danger. He raced around the edge of the tall patch of grass toward the noises. It didn't take the sheepdog long to spot Fai's black form amongst the weeds. His tail was all bristled out and his fur stood on end as he backed away slowly from the predator. Kurogane couldn't see any threat in the area. Confused, the black dog followed the kitten's terrified gaze.

When Kurogane's crimson eyes landed on the creature that was putting Fai in such a tizzy, he couldn't contain a snort of amusement. There, climbing up the stem of a dandelion, was an obese black and brown caterpillar. That was what Fai was so freaked out about? Kurogane swiped at the dandelion with his tail and sent to offending caterpillar flying. When the vicious threat was removed from his sight, Fai began to calm down. He let out a mew of relief and his fur un-bristled. The kitten turned his bright blue eyes on Kurogane and the dog could see them sparkling with renewed affection and gratitude.

Kurogane rolled his eyes as Fai came bounding out of the grass and began to rub up against him, purring loudly. Although it was exasperating, Kurogane couldn't help feeling just a little bit pleased that his small action had prompted such a flood of thankfulness from Fai. He sat there and accepted his love willingly. Surprisingly, Kurogane found that he didn't completely hate it. In fact, he might even have liked it.

Without thinking, the sheepdog bent down to lick the top of Fai's fluffy head. Fai noticed his movement and mewed curiously, wondering what Kurogane was going to do to him. It looked like he was about to lick him, but that hardly seemed likely. Fai's mewing brought Kurogane back to his senses and he realized what he'd been about to do. Mortified, Kurogane quickly pretended to have smelled something interesting in the tall grass and hid his face in it so that he wouldn't have to look at Fai.

That plan backfired horribly; Kurogane ended up sticking his nose into a cluster of low-growing thistles. He yelped in pain and jerked away, licking frantically at the prickly spines that were lodged in his skin. When that didn't work, he lowered his head to the ground and tried to brush them off with his paw. Not until Fai touched him with his paw did he pause in his futile efforts to remove the spines, his scarlet eyes watering in agony. Fai walked around in front of his friend and meowed softly to help calm him before grasping the spines in his sharp little teeth. Kurogane squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the moment when the kitten would jerk them out.

Fai tore them out as quickly as he could to minimize the pain that Kurogane would experience in the process. Kurogane gave a little whine as they were removed but was overcome by a deep, sweeping relief once it was over. He allowed Fai to lick his nose comfortingly with his warm pink tongue, soothing the sore area. Every so often, Fai would steal a glance at the sheepdog's face. Although Kurogane was doing his best to keep his expression as neutral as possible, the kitten wasn't fooled. He could see the dog's tail wagging.

* * *

**A/N:** How was that? Was it ok? Originally, I had dog-catcher!Saiga come and try to drag Kurogane off to the pound and Fai rescuing him, but... as much as the thought of dog-catcher!Saiga amused me, it didn't turn out so I got rid of it. I kept laughing at the story as I was writing it and laughing at my own stories so something that my roommate considers to be especially lame. Needless to say, I think I earned about twenty "dork points" with her during my writing process. Then again, she has quite a few "dork points" with me too, so I think I'm finally catching up to her in that area

Well, I enjoyed writing it and I hope you enjoyed reading it just as much!


	27. Prank

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* * *

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A/N:

Actually, this story has been sitting around on my hard drive most of the way done for quite a while now; I just needed to tweak a few things and slap an ending on it. Even though I know I should be studying for finals and blah blah blah whatever, I just finished my big, nasty, ugly research paper on Jack the Ripper so I figured some sort of celebration was in order (Man, I went TOTALLY overboard on that thing. The professor asked for eight pages and I ended up with thirty-five...). But anyway, it's over, so hurray!

Hmm… I'm a little bit worried that this turned out kind of melodramatic…

* * *

**Prank**

"Meow," Fai said, twirling in a drunken circle and stumbling into Tomoyo. "Meow meow meow!"

Yuuko laughed and pushed Fai's nose playfully as though it were a button. "You, Fai D. Flowrite, are completely smashed!"

"Meow? How did you know?" he asked, holding out his last syllable to give his question a whiney tone.

"You always meow when you're drunk, Fai san!" Tomoyo giggled. Yuuko nodded, taking another drink from her sake bottle. She pulled it away from her lips with a smack and sighed in satisfaction before hiccupping.

Now it was Fai's turn to laugh at her. "You look like you're pretty drunk, too, Yuuko san! Meow!"

"Careful, Fai," she warned jokingly. "I can fire you for saying stuff like that! Don't forget, I _am_ your boss!"

"How many fingers am I holding up then, meow?" Fai asked her smugly, putting up four fingers.

Yuuko squinted. "Six? No, seven!" she declared.

"Wrong!" the blond chirped. "The answer is eleven, meow!"

Yuuko frowned in drunken, confused thought. "You don't even have eleven fingers!"

"Well, since we're all drunk," Tomoyo interrupted, "you know what we have to do now!"

"Prank calls!" Yuuko and Fai cheered simultaneously.

Tomoyo giggled again as she pulled out the Horitsuba Inc. employee directory. "Who wants to make the call?"

"Pick the victim first!" Yuuko ordered, jabbing her finger in the air above her head.

"Yes! The victim!" Fai echoed. The two of them clung to each other eagerly as they waited in suspense for Tomoyo to make a selection. The dark-haired woman closed her eyes, flipped to a random page and pointed to a name. Then she opened her eyes so that she could read it.

"Kurogane Youou!" she shouted. The three of them all squealed in delight.

"_You_ have to do it, Fai!" Yuuko insisted. "He's _your_ crush so you have to be the one to call him!"

"Alright, which line should I use?" Fai asked, bouncing excitedly on the balls of his feet and sloshing sake onto the floor.

"Just use one of the regular stupid ones," Yuuko advised.

"Yes, the sillier it is, the angrier it will make him!" Tomoyo agreed.

"Ok, where's the phone?"

Yuuko dug around in her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, which she handed to him.

"Read me the number!" he requested.

Tomoyo obliged.

* * *

The phone rang. Kurogane's eyes snapped open, gleaming savagely in the moonlight that filtered in through his blinds. He glanced over at the clock on his nightstand. It was three-thirty in the morning. Who the _fuck_ was calling him? When he found out who it was, he was going to shout them to hell and back; that would teach them to call at such a stupid hour. He felt around on the nightstand until he found his phone.

"This'd better be pretty damn good, ass hole!" he snarled groggily.

"Do you have Prince Albert in a can?" the caller asked. Kurogane could hear a couple of women giggling manically in the background which only served to annoy him further.

"Who the hell is Prince Albert?" Kurogane snapped.

"Then you'd better go catch him!" the caller shouted, laughing just as crazily as the women who were with him.

"WHAT THE HELL--?!"

It was too late; the caller had already hung up. Kurogane didn't need to be fully conscious to realize that he had just been prank-called. And boy, was he ever pissed about it. He slammed the phone back down on its cradle. If he ever found out who had called him just now, he swore he'd kill them. Until then, he just turned his back to the phone furiously and tried to return to sleep.

* * *

Yuuko, Fai and Tomoyo gasped, trying to catch their breath after having laughed so hard.

"Oh, that was absolutely brilliant, Fai!" Yuuko sighed, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. "Especially the way you said the wrong punch-line; that really put the icing on the cake!"

"Did I really, meow?" Fai asked, grinning drunkenly. "Ah ha ha! That was completely by accident!"

"I can't remember the last time I had so much fun!" Tomoyo said.

"Well, if you're as drunk as I am, I don't think you're going to remember it tomorrow, either," Yuuko slurred. "You're both staying here tonight, by the way. You're in no condition to drive."

"In that case," Fai trilled, "I call the couch, ok? Meow, meow."

Without waiting for an answer, he plopped down on the couch. Tomoyo sank down next to him and flopped over to rest her head on the blond's shoulder.

"I'm going to cuddle with you tonight, ok Fai san?" Tomoyo decided, looping her arms around Fai's delicate neck. "You're so nice and warm…"

"How could I say no to a request like that?" Fai said, smiling.

"You two behave yourselves, now," Yuuko warned jokingly. "I don't want to have to come out here and separate you, if you know what I mean."

"You know Kuropii's my only love, Yuuko san," Fai replied as he lay down with Tomoyo.

"And Sakura chan is _my_ only love," Tomoyo declared, yawning.

"Alright," Yuuko agreed as she switched off the light. "But I'm trusting you two."

She needn't have bothered with a response; the two of them had already sunken into a drunken slumber.

* * *

Fai was stunned the next morning when he awoke without a raging hangover and basically feeling rested, regardless of the fact that it had been around three forty-five when they went to sleep last night and it was now eight thirty. By all accounts it didn't make sense; not that he was complaining, of course. Though now that he thought about it, he wondered vaguely why any of them had ever thought it would be a good idea to get completely hammered on a weeknight when all three of them had to work the next morning.

"Mm, good morning, Fai san," Tomoyo mumbled from where her head was resting against his chest. "Thank you for being my pillow last night; you did a wonderful job."

Fai grinned. "Glad that I could help out! Are you hungover, Tomoyo chan?"

Tomoyo sat up and rubbed her eyes, then paused a moment as she assessed her physical status. "Actually, I don't think I am. How strange… How about you, Fai san? Are you feeling alright?"

"Surprisingly, yes," he answered as he stood up and stretched his arms high above his head. "I don't have a headache or anything."

"Goodness, aren't we lucky!" Tomoyo marveled. Then she looked at the clock. "Oh, we really should be getting to work, since we both feel ok."

"Shall we check on Yuuko san first?" Fai asked.

Yuuko, as it turned out, was considerably less lucky.

"Who's shooting canons in my house?" she moaned when Tomoyo tapped lightly on her door. "Stop it… Ooh, my head…"

"Oh dear, I guess Yuuko san has one, then," the younger woman sighed. Quietly she eased open the door.

"'Sat you, Tomoyo?" Yuuko croaked, squinting through the partial darkness. "How come you don't look like you're dying?"

"Fai san and I are both fine," she replied cheerfully. "I guess we really got lucky, huh?"

"Ugh…I hate you guys," Yuuko groaned, clutching her head. "You're both fired."

"Anything you say, Yuuko san," Tomoyo said lightly. "Since we're both feeling alright, Fai san and I were going to go to work. Is there anything I can get for you before we go?"

"A new brain," she ordered miserably. "One that isn't soaked in five hundred gallons of alcohol."

"Anything else?" Tomoyo asked.

"Ugh…bring me my eki kyabe and a whole buttload of coffee," Yuuko whined.

"Ok!" Tomoyo chirped. She twirled around and began to skip out of the room.

"And for god's sakes, quit skipping like that!" the boss demanded. "Makes me wanna kill you."

* * *

Fai had to bite his lip to suppress a squeal of joy when he entered the break room to find Kurogane nodding off over a Styrofoam cup of black coffee. Those who knew about Fai's crush on Kurogane could never seem to understand it. After all, the two of them may have worked together for the past five years but they really didn't know each other that well and had had very little in the way of serious conversation. Besides that, they all complained that Kurogane had too short a fuse.

He honestly didn't care that Kurogane was short-tempered and gruff; Fai thought he was absolutely stunning and that his temperament was part of his charm. His every move was so precise and direct, somehow graceful without being the least bit effeminate. Kurogane's scarlet eyes, though often veiled with boredom, concealed a burning passion and every time his gaze settled on Fai, the blond could feel his heart soaring. When he wasn't yelling or cussing someone out, Kurogane's voice was smooth and steady and deep. Fai often caught himself daydreaming about what that voice might sound like if it were being used to whisper sweet words in his ear.

The blond poured himself a cup of coffee to which he added liberal amounts of cream and sugar (he only liked coffee when there was so much other stuff mixed with it that it no longer tasted like coffee) before sliding into a chair beside his lethargic co-worker.

"Are you sleepy, Kurochan?" Fai purred, taking hold of his arm and startling Kurogane out of his torpor. "Did you have a late night last night?"

"Nah, some dumbass prank called me at three-thirty in the freaking morning and after that I couldn't go back to sleep," he grumbled.

Fai, who had just taken a sip of his coffee, promptly choked on it at the mention of the previous night's mischief. Kurogane glanced at him suspiciously, his eyes narrowed.

"What was that about?" he demanded.

"Nothing, Kuropon," Fai coughed. "I just swallowed some of my coffee the wrong way."

Kurogane didn't look convinced. Once he had managed to clear the errant coffee from his windpipe, Fai regained his smile and took Kurogane's muscular arm lovingly.

"If you're tired, Kurotan, you could come to my office and take a nap on my couch," he offered quietly. "And if you're a good doggy, I might even come over and cuddle with you."

Kurogane's face flushed a brilliant shade of red as he shoved the blond in the side of the head and quickly stood, tripping over his chair in his hurry to get away. Fai watched him in mild amusement as the dark-haired man made a mad dash for his own office and heard a click as he locked himself securely inside.

"Is that a yes, then?!" Fai called after him.

"IT'S A 'HELL NO, AND IF YOU EVER ASK ME WEIRD SHIT LIKE THAT AGAIN, I'LL KILL YOU', BASTARD!!" Kurogane snapped through the wall that separated them.

Fai shrugged and took a drink of his coffee. "Oh well; it was worth a shot."

* * *

In spite of the horrendous hangover that Yuuko had sustained as a result of their last drinking party and her irritation with her two favorite employees that they had not shared her suffering, the three of them invariably got together for another drinking party that weekend, this time at Tomoyo's house. Fai was in charge of supplying the wine. He brought an expensive bottle of fruity liquor that he had been given by his twin brother who owned a restaurant in Italy. He basked in the praise as the other two marveled over his prize and took great pride in uncorking it and pouring it into the delicate Champaign glasses.

"Mm, Yuui san has excellent taste, Fai san," Tomoyo sighed happily after taking a sip.

"I suppose it runs in the family, hmm?" Fai grinned.

"By the way, Fai," Yuuko said. "I never heard what happened between you and Kurogane after our little prank calling session a few nights ago."

"Nothing much," the blond admitted regretfully. "The morning after, I found him falling asleep in the break room and when I asked him why he was so tired he said it was because some idiot had prank called him at three thirty in the morning and he hadn't been able to go back to sleep. When he said that, I kind of choked on my coffee, so I think he might have guessed it was me who'd called. He's been watching me pretty close ever since but every time I try to talk to him, he finds some excuse to leave."

"Uh oh, he's suspicious!" Yuuko squealed joyfully, clapping her hands.

"I can't say I mind him watching me, though," Fai said with a sly smile. "When he looks at me with those gorgeous red eyes of his all narrowed in suspicion, my heart goes wild!"

"Sounds like love to me!" Tomoyo sang.

"It really does, doesn't it?" Fai agreed, blushing ever so slightly.

"I'm still not quite sure what you see in that guy," Yuuko said, swirling the deep red liquor in her glass absentmindedly. "He's such a grump!"

"Yes, but…" Fai paused thoughtfully. "That's part of what's so cute about him. Even though we don't get much chance to really talk, I've had plenty of time to watch him, so…"

"And?" Tomoyo prompted eagerly.

"He's so passionate and sure of himself," Fai sighed. "And even though he's not the most eloquent guy in the world, he's always honest, so when he gives a compliment, you know he means it. He's intelligent, too, and observant…"

The two women smiled softly as they listened to Fai talk about the one he loved. It was unusual to hear the blond speak about himself and how he felt so both of them considered it a rare privilege.

"I used to think that Kurosama was just an angry guy, but… after watching him for so long, I'm pretty sure that yelling and pretending to be mad is just his way of covering up his true sweetness," he concluded fondly.

"Yep, our Fai is totally smitten, alright!" Yuuko gushed, pinching his cheek affectionately.

"Ouchy!" Fai whined playfully. "Stop it, Yuuko san; you're embarrassing me!"

"I think we might just have to give Kurogane-dearest another call tonight!" Tomoyo piped.

"Oh, definitely!" Yuuko agreed. "But not until we've had a little more of this fabulous wine!"

"Right!" Fai chirped, pouring her another glass.

* * *

Kurogane stepped out of the bathroom, towel drying his hair after his evening shower. He had hoped that the steam and hot water rushing over his body, cleansing away the dirt and sweat of the day might also cleanse away the constant thoughts of his annoying blond co-worker that had been plaguing him recently. It hadn't worked; Fai was planted as firmly in his mind as he had been for the past couple of days.

The dark-haired man was sure that it had been Fai who had prank called him that night. It had sounded like him, and the way he had choked on his coffee when Kurogane had mentioned it to him just made him even more suspicious. That was what had caused him to take extra notice of Fai recently.

Every time the two of them were in the same room, Kurogane found his eyes irresistibly drawn to him. That was understandable, he supposed, since he was looking for any other signs to prove Fai's guilt, but the way he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away, no matter how hard he tried, worried him slightly. And was it normal that Kurogane had a secret picture of the blond tucked away in his underwear drawer that he felt compelled to take out and stare at every so often? Somehow Kurogane doubted it. Still, he couldn't keep from taking it out right then to look at it.

It wasn't like Kurogane had been sneaking around with a camera so that he could secretly take a picture of Fai; Yuuko had just left it on his desk a couple of months ago. He still had no idea what had made her do that, but frankly, he wasn't complaining. Kurogane looked down at the picture in his hands. Fai was wearing a dressy polo shirt with the collar unbuttoned and a pair of mirrored sunglasses which he was lowering slightly so that he could peer out over the rims of them. His pale lips were curved in a gentle smile and the light danced playfully in his sapphire eyes. There was no denying it; Fai was beautiful. As much as he hated to admit it, and as much as he had been annoyed by that stupid prank call that he had gotten, Kurogane found himself half wishing that he would receive another one so that he could confirm whether Fai was the one behind it.

* * *

When the phone rang two hours later, Kurogane felt his heart skip a beat. It was late, and it was highly unlikely that any normal person would be calling him at this hour. People tended to be scared of him, so that already limited the number of calls that he got even during daytime hours. Could it be that prank call he had been hoping for? He snatched up the phone.

"Yeah, what?" he asked, trying to keep the anticipation out of his voice. Kurogane still wasn't quite sure why he was getting so worked up over a stupid prank call. He knew that it was only going to piss him off, so why was his heart pounding at the prospect of hearing a certain voice on the other end of the line? Already he could hear the two women giggling insanely in the background again, and that made his heart beat even faster.

"I have a problem," the drunken speaker replied loudly.

"Damn right, you do!" Kurogane snapped. "Quit calling me, dumbass!"

"My refrigerator's running!" the caller announced, trying rather unsuccessfully to choke back his laughter. One of the women spoke up from the background.

"You got it wrong again!" she giggled. "You're supposed to say 'there's a crack in my butt'!"

Kurogane thought the woman's voice sounded strangely familiar, but he couldn't place it.

"Oops, sorry… There's a crack in my butt! Ah ha haaa!" the mysterious caller cackled, before hanging up on him.

Kurogane closed his eyes and took a deep breath, squeezing his phone tightly as he tried to reign in his temper. He was fairly certain that the caller had been Fai; more certain than he had been before, anyway. Somehow knowing that just made him angrier. It was all Kurogane could do to restrain himself from throwing the phone at the wall.

* * *

Over the course of the next month and a half, Kurogane received three more drunken prank calls. By this time, Kurogane was 99.9 percent positive that Fai was the one behind them. What he still lacked was solid, undeniable proof. Although it hadn't been unusual for Fai to flirt with him before, his antics seemed to have reached new levels of annoying. Kurogane left work almost every day wanting to kick that stupid blond's ass right out the seventh storey window.

It disturbed him that Fai hadn't backed off by now. Kurogane had figured that if he did his best to ignore him, Fai would eventually get bored and leave him alone but apparently he'd thought wrong. Plus, usually when someone was pissing him off, Kurogane had no problem taking the offender out back and giving them a good pummeling. No one dared to mess with him, and those who did tended to regret it very deeply. So why couldn't he just give Fai the same treatment? The guy was scrawny; Kurogane doubted that he'd be able to put up a serious fight, so the job ought to be a breeze. Why couldn't Kurogane bring himself to do it?

He hadn't been expecting another prank call that night. It came much earlier in the evening than all the previous ones had. Not only that, but it happened on a weeknight. Aside from the first one, all the other prank calls had been made on the weekend. Kurogane was in the middle of having a beer and watching the news when the phone rang. He sighed and muted the TV before answering it.

"Yeah?" he grunted impatiently.

"Now what sort of answer is that?" the caller pouted. "You're supposed to say 'hello' when you pick up the phone!"

"God, not you again," Kurogane groaned. "Don't you have something better to do than harass me all the time?"

"Well, maybe," the caller admitted. "But… every time I see you, you look kind of lonely so I thought I might keep you company for a bit."

"…Hmph, I'm not lonely," the dark-haired man insisted. This was partially true; Kurogane liked having a lot of time to himself since most other people just ended up bothering him. But still, he couldn't help wishing from time to time that he had someone whom he enjoyed spending time with. The only problem was that his pride wouldn't allow him to admit to this, especially not to the likes of this guy. "And even if I was, I sure as hell wouldn't need a moron like you to keep me company."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and Kurogane wondered fleetingly if the guy had hung up on him.

"Hmm, well, even if you're not lonely, I'm bored," the caller chirped. "You're not busy now are you? If you talk to me, you won't be lonely and I won't be bored and then we'll both be happy!"

Even though there were who-knew-how-many miles between the two of them, Kurogane knew a lie when he smelled it, and he was definitely catching a whiff of one now. "Look bastard, if I wanted to be lied to then I'd watch the freaking political debates!" he snapped. "I hate it when people try to feed me bullshit, so don't even bother with it!"

The caller, to Kurogane's fury, just feigned innocence. "Eh? What do you mean? I really _am_ bored and I really _do_ want to keep you company."

"Even if you were worried about me a little bit, the main reason you called me is because _you_ were lonely! I don't know what you were hoping to achieve by hiding it but it's only gonna piss me off so just cut it out! There's no point in me talking to you if you're just going to tell lies!"

The caller was silent for a moment, seemingly stunned and at a loss for what to do. Then there was a click and Kurogane was hearing the dial tone. He huffed as he hung up the phone and un-muted the TV. There was no reason for him to feel guilty, he told himself. The other guy was the one at fault for calling him all the time and then lying about his reasons for doing it. Kurogane still wasn't positive the person he had just finished talking to was Fai, but he was pretty sure now. Even though they didn't talk all that often, Fai was one of the only people who could throw him into such a passionate rage the way the mysterious caller just had.

* * *

Fai sighed and stretched his arms above his head. He had had to stay at work a bit later than usual to get everything done, but he was finished now. Since he had been so busy all day, the blond felt the need to relax and unwind. His first thought was to stop at a bar for a drink but he realized that he had been drinking with Yuuko and Tomoyo quite frequently lately and decided that maybe more alcohol wasn't what he needed. Fai locked up his office and headed for the building's exit, still trying to decide what he would do with his evening. He rounded a corner and ran right into something large and solid.

"Oh, Kuropun!" Fai laughed. "Goodness; that surprised me!"

"Tch. Watch where you're going, idiot," Kurogane snarled.

"Sorry, Kuropiko," he said. "I guess I was so busy trying to decide what to do tonight that I wasn't really paying attention."

The taller man snorted and inserted some change into the vending machine that he had been stopped at when Fai had bumped into him. Fai watched absentmindedly as Kurogane selected two drinks from the machine and bent down to retrieve them from the vending slot. To the blond's astonishment, Kurogane shoved one of the bottles into his hands. Fai blinked in surprise at the sweet, cold chocolate-coffee drink he had been given and looked curiously up at his co-worker.

"Wake up and quit walking around in a daze," Kurogane mumbled, blushing and looking away. "It's dangerous."

"Hmm? Is Kuropipi worried about me?" Fai giggled as he opened his drink.

"Don't be stupid," the other man huffed, focusing on his own drink so he wouldn't have to meet Fai's eyes. "I just don't want you wandering out into the street like a dumbass and getting hit by a bus so that the police have to block off the whole damn road. It'd be a hassle for me to have to find another way home."

"If you say so, Kuromyuu," Fai purred, taking Kurogane's arm as he sipped his coffee and leading him toward the exit, too. Kurogane made a show of being irritated but let Fai pull him along. "Are you doing anything tonight, Kurowanko? I was thinking about getting a movie and ordering pizza."

"Why are you asking _me_?" Kurogane demanded, his cheeks still burning. "Go bother someone else!"

"But you're already here, Kurochii!" Fai pointed out. "Besides… Yuuko san bet me two thousand yen that I couldn't persuade you to do something with me and I could use the money, you know? But since you'd be doing me a favor by accepting, I guess I could split it with you…"

There was that smell in the air again; the smell of lies being told. Kurogane pried Fai off of him and looked him straight in the eyes. Fai, caught off guard, looked slightly frightened for a moment before he was able to gloss it over with a grin.

"I don't waste my time on liars," Kurogane told him sternly, "not as friends or anything else. Once you're done screwing around, then maybe I'll think about it for a minute before saying no, but until then leave me the hell alone."

Kurogane stalked off then, out to the parking lot to his car, leaving Fai looking stunned and slightly hurt.

* * *

Of course, once Kurogane got home that night, he started to feel a bit guilty about what he had said to Fai. Even though he refused to admit, even to himself, that he had any special feelings for him, Kurogane found himself half wishing he could take back his words. At the same time, however, he stood by what he had said; he didn't know what Fai was trying to hide with those lies, but the blond would have to give up the cover-up act if he wanted anything to do with Kurogane. Now if only he could have been just a little bit more eloquent about saying that…

The dark-haired man picked up a magazine and tried to distract himself by reading it but it was no good; he kept thinking about that hurt look in Fai's eyes when he had rejected him. Why should he feel bad about it, though? Fai was being rude to him by lying about why he'd asked Kurogane to spend time with him. He shouldn't be so surprised when people didn't treat him nicely after that. But still, Kurogane couldn't help thinking that he was at fault…

* * *

Fai jumped slightly when someone knocked loudly on the door of his apartment. The blond hesitated, not really sure that he wanted to answer it. After Kurogane had rejected him with such hatred in his eyes just half an hour ago, Fai had slipped into a bit of a depression. He wasn't quite ready to face a visitor with his usual cheerful smile and carefree attitude just yet. His visitor knocked again rather insistently. When Fai still didn't answer, the visitor pounded on the door so hard that Fai was a little bit afraid that it would break down. He heaved a sigh, slipped his smile into place and went to get the door.

"Jeez… I'm really swallowing my freaking pride by coming here; the least you can do is answer the damn door without making me break it down!" Kurogane snapped.

Fai's smile slipped right off his face and was replaced with a look of shock.

"Kurosama? What are you doing here?"

"Quit looking so damned surprised," his co-worker grumbled, trying desperately not to blush. "You're the one who wanted me to come in the first place."

"Well, yes but… you turned me down," Fai reminded him. "I thought… I thought you hated me…"

Kurogane folded his arms. "Look, I never said I hated you, alright? I just don't appreciate people telling me lies. But I guess… I guess maybe I was kind of harsh so…"

Fai was staring at him with those wide blue eyes of his and Kurogane's attempts to fight off his blush failed miserably. "…Sorry…" His apology was mumbled so quietly that Fai hardly heard it, but it still made him smile all the same.

"So are you going to let me in, or what?" Kurogane huffed.

Fai grinned and threw his arms around Kurogane's shoulders. "Of course! Come on in!"

Even though the blond said this, he didn't move but stayed firmly planted, hugging Kurogane gratefully. Eventually, Kurogane got impatient and just swept Fai off his feet so that he could carry him inside. Once the taller man had dropped him on the couch, Fai smiled up at him again.

"Are you hungry, Kuropyon? I feel like ordering pizza."

"Fine," Kurogane agreed. "But, hey, just so you know, I stand by what I said before… One more lie, and I'm outta here."

"If you say so, Kurorin!" Fai sang as he skipped off to get the phone.

* * *

They had ended up watching a stupid, sappy romance movie from Fai's personal collection. Why was Kurogane not surprised? He thought that there might have been some hope for that evening if they had only watched a decent movie. Kurogane sighed heavily and picked up a slice of pizza. At least Fai wasn't cuddling up to him like a clingy moron.

No sooner had that thought crossed his mind then the blond slipped his arms around his co-worker's torso and nuzzled against him as he nibbled his slice of pizza. Kurogane was _not_ pleased. Here he was watching his least favorite type of movie with one of his least favorite people when he could be doing something more constructive like eating sand. So why was his heart suddenly beating so fast? Kurogane put it down to frustration and did his best to push the thought from his mind.

When the dark-haired man ran out of pizza to distract him from the agony that was watching the romance movie, he looked around the room for something else to amuse himself with. It was then that he noticed that at some point during the movie, he had draped his arm around Fai's shoulders. What the hell?! When had that happened?! Just as Kurogane was about to let the full horror and mortification of what he was doing crash over him, Fai made a little noise and shifted slightly.

Kurogane's eyebrows knitted together in a frown as he leaned forward slightly to get a look at the blond's face. Fai was sound asleep, lips parted invitingly, a peaceful expression on his face, snuggling his cheek against Kurogane's warm body. Kurogane froze, feeling his own cheeks growing hot, wondering how in the world he was supposed to escape from this situation. If he woke him up, Fai would probably whine and say that Kurogane was mean or try to make him stay overnight. Like hell he was going to stay overnight with this lunatic!

"Mm… Kurochan…" Fai mumbled, hugging him a little tighter.

Kurogane blushed when he heard the blond say his name in his sleep. Was Fai really dreaming about him? Or could this be another one of his stupid jokes? He waited to see if his co-worker would say anything else but he was silent. Kurogane sighed and ran a hand backwards through his hair. He decided that the best thing to do would be to put Fai to bed and try to sneak out of the house without waking him. Trying desperately not to think about what he was doing, Kurogane held Fai close with one arm and slid the other one under his butt to support him as he picked him up.

The smaller man nuzzled his face into the crook of Kurogane's neck, making his co-worker's face turn scarlet when his lips rested softly against his skin. Kurogane swallowed hard and began to slowly make his way towards Fai's room. He slowly lowered his delicate armload onto the bed and pulled the blankets up to Fai's shoulders. Kurogane told himself to just turn around and leave but a pair of slender arms was still looped around his neck, preventing him from moving.

He tried to remove them carefully but his hands were shaking. What the hell was up with that? He'd probably had too much soda was experiencing a sugar rush or something. Kurogane never consumed sweet things when he could help it, but Fai had insisted. That had to be it. Kurogane certainly wasn't nervous for any reason. Why should he be? He took a deep breath to try and steady himself. That was when Fai's eyes opened slowly. All Kurogane had time to think was "Oh, shit" before Fai made his move. He pulled him a little bit closer so that he could kiss his lips. Kurogane was too stunned to react; his mind was blank. Eventually, Fai let go of him and pulled away, smiling sweetly up at him. Kurogane jerked back, his face blazing with embarrassment.

"Wh-what the hell did you do that for?!" he sputtered.

Fai's smile faded somewhat and he bowed his head for a moment, his lush bangs obscuring his eyes from view. "I…"

He was silent for a moment, then he looked back up at his co-worker, his grin firmly back in place. Fai shrugged. "I thought it would be funny to see Kuropyon's reaction!"

Kurogane's mortification diminished somewhat to allow room for anger. He snatched up the pillow that Fai wasn't using and tossed it as hard as he could at the blond's face.

"Ouch! Kurorinta…!"

"Don't you dare call me those fucking cutesy names, you lying bastard!" Kurogane snapped. "I should kill you for pulling stupid shit like that and trying to play it off as a joke!"

Without another word, he whipped around and stormed out of the room. Fai watched him go in stunned silence and winced when he heard the front door slam. Then he sighed heavily and hung his head. In reality, he hadn't kissed Kurogane as a joke; he'd done it because… But when Kurogane had looked at him in horror afterwards like that, Fai had panicked and tried to cover his tracks with a lie. Apparently that hadn't been a good idea. Fai flopped back on his pillow and put his hands over his face. He'd really screwed things up this time.

* * *

Fai was avoiding him now at work and he hadn't received anymore prank phone calls since Kurogane had blown up at him. Not that he cared, of course. What kind of dumb ass kissed someone and then told them that they'd done it as a joke? Only a real moron would try something like that. Kurogane didn't have time for losers like that. What did he care if he and Fai never spoke again? Why did his heart feel so empty when he asked himself that?

He hated to admit it, but he was kind of wishing that something would happen that would allow him and Fai to make amends. It took a while, but finally the chance he had been waiting for presented itself; three weeks later, Kurogane's phone rang. By that time, he had basically given up any hope of the prankster ever calling again, so when he answered it he wasn't expecting to hear that voice on the other end of the line.

"Hello?"

"Ooh, I see you've learned some manners since the last time I called, hmm? I'm proud of you."

"I thought I told you not to bother me," Kurogane said sullenly.

"I know," Fai sighed. "But you're so much fun to tease, I just can't resist."

"Look, I'm not even going to waste my time with you unless you've decided to quit making shit up," the dark-haired man warned, though his face was turning red.

Fai was silent. "…Fair enough, I suppose," he admitted finally.

"Good," Kurogane growled, feeling satisfied with himself. "Then tell me why you keep on calling me."

"I guess… Well, you were right before; I guess it's because… I'm lonely," he said quietly.

"…Why don't you call those two women that you're always drinking with?" Kurogane suggested, glad for the distance between them so that the other man couldn't see him blushing. "You'd probably have a lot more fun talking to them anyway."

The caller was silent for another moment. "But I want to talk to _you_…"

Kurogane cleared his throat and tugged at his collar awkwardly. "What for? I don't even know you."

"Hmm… Well, if I had to give a reason… I… I like you," Fai answered a little shyly.

"Don't be an idiot; you don't know me, either. How can you like someone that you don't know?" he asked. Still, Kurogane blushed deeply. So Fai did like him, then? Or was this just the blond messing with him again?

"Oh, I know you better than you think," Fai said, and Kurogane could hear the grin in his voice. "You can learn quite a lot about a person just by watching them, you know."

"So you watch me a lot?" Kurogane asked, trying to sound disinterested. "That's freaking creepy, you know that?"

"Maybe," Fai admitted. "But you're just so cute; I can't help myself. Besides, if I tried to learn about you by asking questions, you'd probably just tell me that I was annoying and to go away and I wouldn't get anywhere. Am I right?"

He was right. "You're still annoying," Kurogane grumbled. "If you think that these stupid prank calls of yours are any less of a pain than someone asking me questions, then you're even dumber than I thought."

"But this isn't a prank call!" the blond insisted. "I'm not playing a prank!"

"You're just calling to piss me off!" Kurogane snapped. "Besides that, you still haven't even told me who you are! That's basically the same thing as a prank call!"

"Don't be silly," Fai chided playfully. "I already told you, I'm not calling just because I want to annoy you, although that's certainly part of it."

"I knew it, you bastard!"

"But like I said… I have no one else to talk to and I like you, so…"

Kurogane could tell by his tone that he was a little bit ashamed to have to make random calls to someone who didn't even seem to like him in order to get the human interaction he needed. To tell the truth, Kurogane might even have felt a little sorry for him.

"Who is this?" the taller man blurted. Kurogane was a bit surprised when that question suddenly burst from his lips. He hadn't even been planning to ask it. Still, it had been bothering him for quite a while and he wanted to hear Fai admit that it was him.

"I…" Fai broke off. "If I tell you, I'm afraid you won't want to talk to me anymore… and I… I don't want that to happen."

"You already promised to tell the truth," Kurogane reminded him sharply.

"I'm not really breaking that promise if I don't even answer the question, though, right?" Fai replied.

"Who are you?!" Kurogane demanded. There was silence, then a click and the dial tone. Kurogane heaved a sigh and dropped the phone back down on its cradle. He couldn't exactly explain why but the abrupt termination of the phone call left him feeling frustrated and disappointed.

* * *

The next day after work, Kurogane went to the local electronics store and bought a new phone; one with caller ID. It seemed somewhat unlikely that the prankster would be calling back after what had happened the previous night, but he justified his purchase by telling himself that having caller ID would make it easier to avoid telemarketers and other irritating people that he'd rather not have to talk to. The moment he got home, Kurogane replaced his old phone with the new one. He sat down in the chair next to it and, feeling somewhat tense, turned on the TV. Although he was sitting beside the phone and had the TV turned down so that he would be able to hear it ringing immediately, Kurogane definitely wasn't waiting for another one of those annoying calls.

* * *

It was another two weeks before Kurogane received another "prank" call. Even though it had been quite a long time since the last time he'd received one, it didn't stop Kurogane's heart from pounding every time his phone rang. This time was no different; it rang once and already Kurogane was rushing to glance at the caller ID. Though his heart had been pounding before, he thought he felt it stop when he read the name: "Fai D. Flourite". His hand shook slightly as he picked up the phone.

"Yeah?"

There was no reply, and for a moment Kurogane thought that there was no one on the other end of the line but then he caught just the faintest sound of someone breathing. Fai was definitely there; he just couldn't, or wouldn't, speak. After ten seconds or so of silence, Fai hung up. Kurogane snorted; if the blond thought he was letting him off the hook that easily, he had another thing coming.

* * *

Fai sighed and lowered his head into his hands. He hated himself; why did he have to be such a coward? Why didn't he just admit to Kurogane that all the flirting wasn't a joke and that he did it because he was in love with him? Fai didn't have to ask himself that question. He already knew the answer. It was because in the twenty-five years that he'd been alive, he'd never once had a successful relationship. Either he ended up falling for a total creep or the other person didn't feel the same way about him and got scared off when he confessed his feelings to them.

He didn't want that to happen with Kurogane. But it seemed that keeping his love a secret wasn't working either. Fai didn't know what to do but he wished he could just figure it out and quit causing himself so much grief. He was tired of being alone. Even though he knew he was wishing for the impossible, he couldn't help fantasizing that the other man would somehow piece together all of his cryptic bullshit and figure out why Fai was behaving like such a childish idiot. What he wouldn't give for Kurogane to come bursting through his front door…

Kurogane came bursting through his front door. Fai was so startled to see him that he let out a frightened little squeak and jumped to his feet. Kurogane was breathing heavily and the blond wasn't sure if it was because he had ran all the way to his house or if he was really that nervous or if his chest was just heaving with barely suppressed desire. Somehow Fai couldn't imagine any of those being the case, but Kurogane could be full of surprises sometimes.

The two of them stared at each other for a moment, neither really sure what to say or do and waiting for the other to make the first move. Finally, Kurogane got tired of waiting. He crossed the room in three huge strides. Fai clamped his eyes shut, sure that Kurogane was going to hit him. The blow never came; instead Kurogane swept him into his arms, hugging him tight as he began to kiss his neck.

"K-Kurosama…?" Fai stammered. "Why…?"

"You called, didn't you?" he growled between kisses.

"But… how did you know it was me…?" the blond asked weakly.

Kurogane snorted. "You mean besides the fact that I recognized your voice and you acted suspicious as hell every time I mentioned that I was getting annoying prank calls? Caller ID, moron."

Fai smiled sheepishly before Kurogane captured his lips with his own.

* * *

**A/N: **So how was it? I clubbed you to death with melodrama, didn't I? Damn it…


	28. Yard

**A/N: **Wow, I can't believe it's taken me this long to post something this summer! Let me tell you, though, it's not for lack of trying. I've seriously started like four or five different chapters. It's not for lack of ideas that I haven't written anything; for some reason, I just can't get anything I write to come out recently. Plus I'm stuck in this super suck summer job, and going through KuroFai withdrawal. Seriously, we haven't seen those two in the manga in like three months.

I guess I'll get this party started, even though I'm totally not confident about how this came out (mostly, I just didn't want people to think I'd given up on this story). Oh and just so you know, this chapter picks up sometime after the events of chapter eight: taboo. Enjoy?

* * *

**Yard**

"Hyuu! You made it again, Kurowanko! That's the seventh time in a row!" Fai cheered, clapping exuberantly. "You're definitely getting better!"

Kurogane sighed and rolled his eyes. "Like I care. Why do I play this retarded game? It's not even fun, 'specially by yourself."

He chucked the basketball at Fai half-heartedly and the smaller boy caught it. The two of them were out at recess, and Fai was watching Kurogane shoot baskets as usual. Kurogane didn't especially like basketball but he had to occupy himself somehow during all these recesses that he spent with Fai. Otherwise the two of them would just be sitting around all the time, staring dreamily into each other's eyes. His tough-guy rep had already been seriously crippled by his constantly hanging out with and protecting Fai.

"I'd play with you if I could, Kurotan, but I'm just no match for you," he grinned. "I'm nowhere near tall enough to make a basket."

"Why do I have to suffer just because you're such a shrimp?" Kurogane heaved a sigh and folded his arms. "Anyway, what gives? Kids are supposed to look forward to recess. This is just lame."

"Maybe if all the other kids weren't so scared of you, you'd have someone decent to play with," he suggested.

"Tch! And whose fault do you think it is that I have to kick their asses all the time?" Kurogane snarled.

Fai shot the ball at the basket. It hit the wall a good two feet below, bounced off and hit him on the head.

"Ouchy!" the blond whined, clutching his throbbing cranium.

"Are you serious?" Kurogane growled. "Did you just hurt yourself _again_?"

He threaded his fingers gently through Fai's hair, checking to see what the damage was. His fingers were met by a small bump.

"Kiss it better…" the little blond requested, his eyes full of crocodile tears.

"Don't be an idiot," Kurogane snorted, though his cheeks flushed a bit at the thought. "Anyway, what's your deal? This is like the third time you've hurt yourself today."

"Yeah, first I fell down at the bus stop and scraped my knee, then someone tripped me and I hurt my knee again, and then during our art project I got a paper cut," Fai said, ticking his injuries of on his fingers. "And that's just what happened today! I've been having extra bad luck for the last two weeks!"

Kurogane couldn't pretend he hadn't noticed it too. Fai seemed to be getting hurt every five minutes, and not just by the usual bullying. There was a whole bunch of stuff that just kept happening by chance. He wanted to write it off on Fai's natural clumsiness but it had never been this bad before: burns, bug bites, doors closing on his fingers, things hitting him in the face, tripping and falling in the mud… Maybe Fai was right; maybe his luck was getting worse somehow. But Kurogane knew better than to allow him to see his doubt on the subject. Doing that would just throw the blond into a panic. Instead he put on a brave face for him, as usual. He had never believed in Fai being a supposed jinx before, so why should that change now just because he had been having a rough couple of days?

"Jeez, not _that_ again!" Kurogane huffed. "I told you to quit being such a moron! All that stuff was just coincidence!"

"_Bad_ coincidence!" Fai pointed out.

The dark-haired boy was silent. Fai had him there.

"So far, I've been the only one to get hurt…" the blond said slowly, looking carefully at the ground. "But what if something happens and Kurochuu gets hurt, too? …If Kuromin got hurt because of me… because I'm a jinx… I don't know what I would do."

Kurogane clicked his tongue in exasperation, but couldn't help blushing slightly. It never ceased to amaze (and embarrass) him how much Fai cared about him. He opted to change the subject.

"I'm sick of basketball," Kurogane grumbled.

"Yeah, maybe we should do something a little safer," Fai agreed. "I know!"

He grabbed Kurogane's hand and led him over to the grass and plunked down in it.

"We can make crowns out of flowers!"

Kurogane blinked. "Are you freaking serious? There's no way I'm gonna do something retarded like that!"

"Don't you know how, Kurorin?" Fai asked innocently, plucking several flowers from the grass.

"Of course I don't freaking know how!" he snapped. "Like I would waste my time on something so girly!"

"I'll make some for you, then!" the smaller boy chirped. His nimble fingers began weaving the stems into a wreath.

"I don't need 'em!" Kurogane insisted, though when it became clear that Fai had no intention of stopping, he simply fell silent and watched Fai work.

"My birthday is next week," Fai said quietly after a moment, not meeting his friend's eyes.

Kurogane started and jerked his head up to look at Fai's face. "Hah?! You never told me that!"

Fai shrugged as he finished off his first crown and set it delicately on top of Kurogane's head. Kurogane didn't even notice.

"Are you going to get me a present?" he asked sweetly.

Kurogane flushed again. "I have no idea what I would even give."

"Draw me a picture," Fai suggested, beginning a new flower crown. "A kitty and a doggy…"

"What are you talking about?" the taller boy growled. "I can't draw."

"Make them in love with each other," he added, grinning. "Just like we are."

"H-hold on!" Kurogane sputtered. "I don't—! I-I mean, we—! Wh-what do you even—!"

Fai laughed. "I love it when you act all shy about your feelings, Kuropyon! It's so cute!"

Kurogane fell silent again, hanging his head as he blushed furiously. "What'll happen if the other guys find out it's your birthday?" he mumbled. "You think they'll try something?"

Fai shrugged as he set another crown on top of Kurogane's head. "I'm not worried," he breathed, smiling softly as he caressed his friend's cheek. "Kurowanta is always around to protect me."

"Darn right," Kurogane agreed gruffly.

* * *

Kurogane's heart pounded wildly in his chest as he raced toward the tree. Already he could see Fai strung up in its branches by his belt and a group of other kids gathered around it, several of them holding long sticks. A cheap paper happy birthday sign was wrapped around the trunk of the tree. One of the boys drew back his stick and smacked Fai over the head with it with it as hard as he possibly could. The other kids jeered loudly. Kurogane felt sick with rage as he pushed himself to run faster.

"HEY!!" he roared, shaking his fist over his head threateningly. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, YOU STUPID BASTARDS?!"

Even though they outnumbered Kurogane five to one, the boys knew that they didn't stand a chance against Fai's self-appointed bodyguard. They dropped their sticks and started running as fast as they could. Kurogane threw a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure that his mother wouldn't be able to see him beating the shit out of them before putting on a final burst of speed and tackling two of them to the ground at once.

Regardless of the fact that they had just given him a severe pummeling, Fai closed his eyes and turned away so that he wouldn't have to watch Kurogane dish out the retribution on his behalf. His hands were tied securely to his sides, preventing him from covering his ears, so he still had to listen to their shouts of pain. He busied himself with wiping his tears on his shoulder. Fai knew it shouldn't matter. Kurogane had seen him cry before and he never mocked him for it, he just held and rocked him until he was able to stop. Still, he knew that Kurogane didn't like people who were weak, and he didn't want to make Kurogane unhappy.

"I ever hear about you doing shit like this to him again and I swear I'll kill you!" Kurogane snarled dangerously at them. "Don't think I won't!"

Fai looked down at him tiredly as he appeared at the bottom of the tree. Kurogane's teeth clenched angrily as he surveyed the damage that had been done before hoisting himself up into the branches alongside of him.

"Thanks, Kurosama," the little blond said gratefully, looping his arms around his friend's shoulders as he loosened the belt and carefully helped him down from the tree.

Kurogane's stomach churned with guilt as his fingers gently grazed a nasty- looking bruise on Fai's pale cheek. Why did his mother have to schedule that stupid dental appointment during school hours? If he had just been around to protect Fai as usual, this never would have happened. He felt even worse because today was Fai's birthday. If ever there was a day that he should have been around to defend him, it should have been today. Kurogane started to feel sick with anger and guilt again.

"Come on," he mumbled. "My mom's waiting for us."

Kurogane's appointment had caused him to miss his last class of the day, but he had suspected that something like this might happen and had insisted that his mother bring him back to school afterwards so that they could give Fai a ride home. He couldn't help feel a little bitterness towards Fai's parents for not doing anything to prevent their son from being bullied so viciously. Then again, Fai's father had to work constantly just so that his small family could afford their modest home and Fai's mother had been in and out of the hospital recently because of her poor health. There wasn't a whole lot they could do. Kurogane knew this, but still… His mother turned around to watch Kurogane help his battered friend into the back seat of the car.

"Oh dear! Fai kun! What happened?!" she gasped. "You're bleeding!"

"Some stupid jerks from school got him," Kurogane growled, sliding into the seat next to Fai. He took the trembling blond into his arms and held him close, running his fingers through his hair soothingly. "Let's just get home as fast as we can."

Kurogane's mother gave Fai a final sorrowful glance before pulling away from the school.

"It's your birthday today, isn't it Fai kun?" she asked kindly. "That's what Kurogane told me."

"Yes," Fai replied distantly.

"Happy birthday!" she said. "Are you and your parents going to have a birthday party tonight?"

"We might have some cake… My dad doesn't get home until late, though." He smiled weakly at her. "I don't know if I'll be able to stay up long enough."

"What did they put you in that tree for?" Kurogane demanded.

Fai's slender fingers clutched the dark-haired boy's shirt. "They said… since it was my birthday, we should celebrate… They tied me up and put candy in my clothes… I was the piñata…"

Kurogane started and look down at him in horror. Fai was smiling, but tears were rolling down his cheeks at the same time.

"That's terrible!" Kurogane's mother shrieked. "Why don't the teachers do anything?! If you're being treated that badly, Fai kun, you should let the police know!"

"You think he hasn't tried?" Kurogane snorted bitterly. "They don't give a crap. None of them do."

"B-because I'm a jinx," Fai stammered, burying his face in his best friend's chest so that they couldn't see his tears.

Kurogane ground his teeth and gently massaged Fai's shoulders. He waited until he was sure that his mother wasn't watching them in the rearview mirror to touch a few shy kisses to the top of Fai's head.

"We'll have a birthday party for you at our house, Fai kun," Kurogane's mother promised. "We can pick up your mother, too, so she can celebrate with us."

Fai lifted his head, looking startled. "Oh! You don't have to do that! My mother is in the hospital right now, anyway, so I don't think the doctors would let her come…"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know…" Kurogane's mom said.

"Besides, you shouldn't have to do something as big as that just for me."

"I don't want to hear another word about it, Fai kun!" Kurogane's mother interrupted stubbornly. "You deserve to have a birthday party as much as anyone. Besides, it's the least we can do for you, with you being Kurogane's best friend and all!"

Fai blinked, stunned, and looked hesitantly up at Kurogane, trying to see what his opinion of this suggestion was. Kurogane's cheeks reddened slightly under his crystal-blue gaze but he nodded resolutely.

Fai smiled slightly and nuzzled against Kurogane's chest. "…Thank you."

* * *

Kurogane helped Fai into the house, sat him down in one of the kitchen chairs and rushed off to get the first-aid kit from the bathroom. Since his mother had just dropped them off at home so she could pick up a few things for Fai's impromptu party, the two of them were safely alone now. Fai tried to take a few bandages from Kurogane so that he could help patch himself up, but Kurogane wouldn't let him. The blond sighed resignedly and watched as Kurogane washed and treated his wounds with surprising care. He slowly removed Fai's t-shirt and cringed as he took in the angry red welts that stood out against the blond's snowy white skin.

"This is all my fault," Kurogane grumbled as he dabbed on some antiseptic. "If I hadn't had that stupid dentist appointment, I would've been there to protect you and none of this would have happened."

Fai lifted Kurogane's chin with a finger so that he could look into Kurogane's captivating scarlet eyes.

"No, Kurochii. Before I met you, I had to deal with this kind of thing every day," he cooed, smiling sweetly. "It's thanks to you that I'm safe most of the time. No one's ever been as kind to me as you and your parents are... I guess that's why it makes me so happy to be with you, huh?"

Kurogane's face turned crimson and he hurriedly looked away, focusing his attention on treating Fai's wounds again and trying to ignore the way his heart had started pounding so vigorously at Fai's beautiful smile.

* * *

They grilled out that night, at Fai's request, and ate outdoors, since it was a very nice spring day. Kurogane couldn't help watching Fai as he ate his grilled chicken. He looked pained, even though he kept insisting that he was enjoying himself every time he was asked.

"Are you sure everything's alright, Fai kun?" Kurogane's mother asked with a frown. "You don't seem very happy. Did I forget something?"

"Oh, no!" Fai insisted, forcing a smile. "Everything's perfect! I couldn't ask for a better party!"

Kurogane and his mother looked at each other, unconvinced.

"If there's something missing that you really wanted, Fai kun, please don't be afraid to ask," Kurogane's mother urged. "We can even take some cake over to your mother at the hospital afterwards, if you'd like."

"You've already done so much…" Fai said sadly. "I don't want to put you to so much trouble."

Kurogane was beginning to lose his patience. "Look, idiot, if you don't tell me what's wrong, I'm not giving you your present."

Fai blinked at him. "Kuropipi got me a present?"

Kurogane's mother stifled a giggle. "He must really be serious about wanting to know what's wrong, threatening you with that after he spent so much time working on it!"

Fai looked at Kurogane, stunned, as the other boy blushed all the way to the roots of his raven hair. "Kurorinta _made_ me something?"

"Quit acting like it's such a big deal!" Kurogane snapped at his mother. "He probably won't even like it anyway!"

"If you made it for me, Kuropon, I know I'll love it," Fai assured him, his own cheeks turning slightly pink.

"Yeah, well… you're not even gonna get it if you don't tell us why you're all depressed," Kurogane threatened.

Fai's smile faded and the pained look came to his face again. "…I just… I feel bad, always making you guys do all this stuff for me… just because I'm a…"

"Shut up!" Kurogane growled, pounding the table and startling Fai into silence. "If you say you're a jinx again, I'll punch your face in! I keep telling you not to believe that crap! There's no such thing as a jinx!"

Fai hung his head, his lush blond bangs obscuring his eyes from view.

"Kurogane's right, Fai kun," Kurogane's mother said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. "No matter what other people say, you're not bad luck, and don't you ever let them tell you that you are. And as for letting us do these sorts of things for you, we're doing them because we want to."

"But…!" Fai began.

"Does it bother you to do things for the people that you love?" she cut in.

"No, but…"

"It's the same for us, Fai kun," she said. "Kurogane and I love you and there's nothing we wouldn't do for you."

All Fai could do was stare at her stupidly. Very few people outside of his family had ever even treated him civilly, let alone told him that they loved him. He looked numbly at the taller boy.

"I…Is that true, Kurochan?" he squeaked.

Kurogane's face was so red it looked as though he was about to combust. "…Hn," he grunted.

Fai didn't know what to say. He could feel a lump rising in his throat and tears coming to his eyes again.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Kurogane yelped. "Y-you'd better not cry!"

"Sorry," Fai said quickly, swallowing hard and wiping his eyes on his sleeve.

"So, now that you understand how we feel, I think it's time we had some cake," Kurogane's mother said cheerfully, setting the plates down in front of the boys.

Fai picked up his fork and dug in, still looking a little tearful but quite a bit happier than he had before. When he saw Kurogane take a bite of cake as well, surprise registered on his fair features.

"I thought you didn't like sweet stuff, Kurowanwan," he said.

"I don't," Kurogane replied, pulling a face. "But I thought you'd probably complain if I said I wouldn't eat it."

Fai grinned at him. "You know me well, Kurorun!"

Kurogane rolled his eyes and reluctantly took another bite of cake.

"Now, how about that present?" the blond prompted.

Kurogane froze, blushing. "Actually… I don't think I'm gonna give it to you."

"What? How come?" Fai pouted. "I told you what was bothering me, so now you have to give me my present!"

"It's too stupid," the dark-haired boy mumbled.

"Nothing that Kuropipi makes is stupid!" Fai argued.

"Here it is, Fai kun!" Kurogane's mother sang, producing a clumsily wrapped gift from inside the house.

"Mom!" Kurogane snarled, making a snatch for the present and missing. "I don't wanna give it to him! It's dumb!"

His mother just laughed and pulled her struggling son into a tight hug so that Fai could unwrap his gift. Inside was a framed child-like drawing of a black cat and dog in a field. The dog had a bundle of yellow flowers in its mouth which it was presenting to the very pleased-looking cat. Above the cat's head was Fai's name and Fai could see where Kurogane had started to write his own name above the dog's head but had tried to erase it. Fai looked over at a mortified Kurogane, grinning manically. Kurogane was so red that he looked like he had terrible sunburn that covered his entire face. His mother released him so that Fai could hug him instead.

"It's just what I wanted, Kurochuu," he whispered, kissing his ear softly. "Thank you."

Kurogane's mother giggled as she watched her son return the embrace shyly. As much as Kurogane grumbled about Fai's affectionate nature, all three of them knew how much the dark-haired boy appreciated it.

* * *

Fai rolled over on his side in the grass to check on Kurogane. The two of them had been lounging in his backyard, watching the sunset on Fai's birthday and the dark-haired boy had been silent for quite some time now, his back to the little blond. Fai wondered if perhaps he was asleep. He peered curiously over Kurogane's shoulder to find him wide awake but busily working on something. It was starting to get dark, so Fai couldn't quite make out what it was.

"What are you doing, Kurokuro?" he asked.

"Just hold on. Almost done," Kurogane muttered distractedly.

Fai lay back in the grass again, watching his friend's back curiously. It wasn't until about five minutes later that Kurogane turned around, holding his creation delicately in his tanned hands. He slipped it over Fai's head and Fai lifted it off his chest a little so that he could examine it.

"Are these…" he began in surprise.

"Yeah, four-leaf clovers," Kurogane answered. "I figured maybe if I gave you a good luck charm, you'd shut up about all that stupid jinx crap."

Fai giggled and nuzzled up against him lovingly. "I thought you said you didn't know how to make these."

"I didn't until I watched you doing it at recess last week," the taller boy said defensively.

"Hmm," the blond replied fondly. "But I just thought of something… I guess what you said about jinxes not existing was true. It must be, because if I was really a jinx I wouldn't be lying here next to Kurosama in the grass right now, feeling so happy."

Fai propped himself up on one elbow and brought his lips so close to Kurogane's that they nearly touched.

"Someone who was unlucky wouldn't have been able to find someone they loved so much or be able to spend time with that person. I get to do both. Maybe I'm not so unlucky after all."

Kurogane grinned and closed the distance between their mouths.

"Yeah," he whispered. "Lucky you."

* * *

**A/N: **…It occurs to me now that this didn't follow the prompt that well. When I was trying to come up with something for this challenge, what I envisioned was the clover necklace scene and yet it only turned out to be a very small portion of the story. I had it set in the universe where Kurogane and Fai were kings together but it just didn't work out… Anyway, hopefully I'll have something more satisfactory up soon. Until then, ciao!


	29. Covet

Covet

**A/N: **Hello again! I decided, rather than scrapping this chapter and starting over, to pick it up again, even though it's been like a month since I last touched it.

This idea came to me because I thought Fai's behavior in Piffle when he was talking to Kurogane about Tomoyo's look-alike was a little strange… If you didn't notice while you were reading that chapter of the manga, I think you'll see what I mean once you've read this. Hopefully. I also did it because I figured it was about time I wrote something non-AU, so for those of you who aren't big fans of AU stories, hopefully this is to your liking.

* * *

**Covet**

Kurogane was still watching her closely; every graceful move she made, every beautiful expression, every mischievous or star-struck smile when she looked at Sakura. Even though she had been with them for almost seven hours and the initial shock had to have worn off by now, nothing she did went unnoticed by him. Fai's heart clenched when in her energetic gestures her hand accidentally knocked her glass of iced tea and Kurogane grabbed it even before it could wobble from the impact. That's how closely he was watching her.

Fai tore his eyes away and told himself not to be stupid; of course Kurogane was watching her closely! This was his beloved Tomoyo hime's look-alike and Kurogane had made it clear from the very beginning of their journey that he did not take to people very eagerly but that he was willing to make an exception when it came to her. It was only natural that he would try to make up for their lost time together by watching over her like a hawk.

"Could I have a little more tea, please, Fai san?" Tomoyo asked sweetly, oblivious of how much anguish she was causing him. Fai shook himself out of his daze and smiled.

"Of course, Tomoyo chan!" he said.

"I'll get it," Kurogane interrupted suddenly, snatching up the pitcher before Fai could reach it and pouring Tomoyo another glass of iced tea.

Fai felt his heart being squeezed again. It was especially difficult to watch Kurogane fawning over someone else when Fai had almost completely monopolized the ninja's attention in Yamano, the previous world they had visited. How could the swordsman just act like that whole year in that warring country had never even happened just because this girl had suddenly decided to make an appearance? Only two days ago, he had ended his day by crawling into bed with Kurogane and snuggling up to him, letting Kurogane kiss him and stroke his hair until he fell asleep. The two of them had been inseparable then, but now Kurogane seemed to be almost completely ignoring him. But this was Kurogane's beloved Tomoyo, whom he had known and guarded with his life for years before he had ever met Fai. The magician knew he was being stupid and selfish but it still hurt. Finally, Fai couldn't take it anymore and he stood up from the table.

"Eh? Where are you going, Fai san?" Sakura asked.

He forced himself to smile at her. "It's starting to get rather warm out here and since I'm from a snowy country, I don't handle the heat very well…"

"Are you alright?" Syaoran inquired concernedly.

"Oh yes, perfectly fine!" he lied cheerfully. "Don't worry about me, just enjoy yourselves."

He ignored his traveling companions' worried gazes as he retreated indoors, noting that Kurogane's only flickered over to him for a few brief seconds before settling on Tomoyo once more.

* * *

"How sweet!" Fai chirped, peering around Kurogane's shoulder so that he could see their two younger traveling companions sharing a moment of shy romance. He couldn't help smirking when he saw Kurogane roll his eyes in response to his comment and quickly look away.

"Here, I got you another," he added, pushing a bottle of liquor into the ninja's hand. Fai glanced up at Kurogane quickly to see that his eyes were focused on the drink he was giving him rather than on his face before allowing his grin to take on the slightest hint of bitterness. "Speaking of which, you were being pretty sweet today yourself, Kurotan."

"Huh?" Kurogane grunted, feigning obliviousness.

Fai forced his smile to brighten as his companion's gaze moved back to his face. "With Tomoyo chan."

The blond watched Kurogane's face carefully as he pointed this out, curious to see how he would react to such an accusation. Kurogane looked slightly embarrassed that Fai had noticed his behavior toward his princess's look alike, though he didn't blush as Fai thought he would. He didn't try to defend himself, either, so Fai continued.

"She looks just like your princess, doesn't she? She's got the same name and everything."

Kurogane picked the slice of lemon off the opening of his bottle absentmindedly.

"I mean, you didn't really say anything, but you must've been watching for Tomoyo chan this whole time. How interesting, Kurorin!"

The swordsman took a drink of his liquor, still silent. Fai wished he would say something; he was worried that some of the regret he felt was creeping into his voice, in spite of his efforts to keep it neutral. As observant as Kurogane was, Fai was sure he would notice with the way things were now. He was less likely to detect this if he was busy talking.

"But… it's not really her, is it?" Fai said, pretending to be interested in his liquor. In reality, he was watching Kurogane closely out of the corner of his eye. He knew that Kurogane understood that this Tomoyo wasn't his princess; the warrior wasn't stupid. But he couldn't blame him if he forgot that every once in a while, since the two of them looked so similar. Perhaps he just needed to be reminded. "It looks like her but it's a completely different person."

Kurogane looked up from his drink, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What's your problem? You've been acting stupid all freaking day."

"Hmm? My problem?" Fai asked, faking obliviousness just as Kurogane had earlier in their conversation. "What makes you think I have a problem?"

"I'm not an idiot, you know," Kurogane growled. "I can tell when something's wrong, especially after spending all that time in that last damn country when we couldn't understand each other. If there's something bothering you, just say it and get it over with. You know how it pisses me off when you try to hide obvious stuff like this from me."

Fai looked down at the bottle in his hand, feeling foolish. He knew Kurogane would yell at him if he admitted to being jealous of Tomoyo and then he would feel even worse about the whole thing. Still, some part of him didn't care about Kurogane seeing this childish side of him if it would make the ninja put his fears at ease and convince him that he had no romantic interest in Tomoyo whatsoever. Kurogane was still waiting for his response, his arms folded and his glare set. Fai didn't feel like he could expose his true feelings to him when he was staring at him so coldly like that.

Kurogane could see the wheels turning beneath that mop of fair hair. Fai was trying to decide what answer to give him, and when it took him this long to reply it usually meant he wasn't going to get the truth. The warrior heaved a sigh. He was pretty sure he already knew what was bothering Fai, even if Fai didn't want to tell him. Kurogane thought it was pretty hypocritical of the sorcerer to be so upset over this. Why should Fai get to monopolize his thoughts when he clearly wasn't allowed to do the same to Fai's? Well, two could play at that game.

"You haven't met yours either, have you?" Kurogane said icily. "Your little reason for running away?"

This time it was Fai's turn to be silent. On one hand, it hurt him that Kurogane had dragged Ashura into this conversation. On the other hand, though, Fai couldn't help admiring the swordsman's perceptiveness; he was pretty sure Kurogane had just managed to figure out what was bothering him, even though he hadn't admitted to anything verbally.

"But if he's got the same face, you might not be able to tell if it was really him or not," Kurogane continued.

"I would know," Fai replied, his voice frigid. "I'd know the difference between someone who just looked like him and the real him. I'd be able to tell."

Kurogane was a little surprised; he'd never seen Fai in such a dark mood. But the clouds parted almost instantly and the blond's infuriating smile was back.

"Just like you'd know your Tomoyo chan!" he finished.

Kurogane sighed. He had tried to do the argument Fai's way, but the blond had turned the topic right back onto him. Well, screw that; he'd had enough. If everything was done Fai's way, nothing would ever get done. One of them had to have the sense to get to the bottom of things, and clearly the blond was not that person. Kurogane grabbed Fai by the lapels and pinned him against the wall. Fai blinked at him, his eyes wide with surprise.

"I'm sick of this," the warrior spat. "You're always trying to take without ever giving. That's not how these things work, you stupid bastard. Let me know when you've pulled your head out of your ass. Then maybe we can talk."

Kurogane let go of Fai's shirt and turned his back on him. Fai watched him go, stunned, not quite sure what he had done to make Kurogane so angry. He heard the ninja's bedroom door slam. Fai supposed that meant that Kurogane wouldn't exactly be rolling out the welcome mat at his bedroom door for him tonight like he usually did (figuratively speaking, of course). The magician was about to turn on the crocodile tears, but then he realized that there was no one around to watch his little show so he simply retired to his own room in silence.

* * *

Kurogane awoke when he felt someone crawl into bed beside him in the middle of the night. He rubbed his eyes tiredly. The visitor climbed under the covers, acting as though they were going to make themselves at home but they hesitated nervously. It was too dark for him to see who it was, but he recognized the breathing and the light pleasant scent as belonging to Fai.

Memories of the argument they had had earlier in the evening suddenly came flooding back to him. _Let me know when you've pulled your head out of your ass. Then maybe we can talk._ Those had been his words. To be honest, Kurogane was surprised that Fai had gotten his head out of his ass so quickly. He had expected it to take him at least another day or two. When it became clear that Fai was still too nervous to cuddle up to him, Kurogane took the initiative. He pulled Fai into his arms, making the blond jump in surprise.

"Kurotan?" Fai said timidly.

"You ready to talk now, idiot?" Kurogane asked.

"…I was jealous of Tomoyo chan…" he admitted. "I'm sorry."

"You damn well should be," the warrior snorted. "You try to act like I should only think about you all the time, but I _know_ I'm not the only one on _your_ mind. You're thinking of someone else pretty much all the time."

Fai lapsed into a guilty silence. Kurogane was right, of course, as usual. But he wasn't thinking of that other person in the same way that Kurogane probably assumed he was.

"Sorry," Fai repeated. "It's just that… I… I love you, and… now that I've seen how you are with Tomoyo chan, I feel like I could never get to where she is with you… It kind of hurts, you know?"

Kurogane snorted again and rolled his eyes. "You're right; I'll probably never be able to think of you as my little sister."

"Sister…?" Fai repeated, confused.

"Like I could ever fall for someone who's less than a third my age. Don't be such a moron."

The mage could feel his heart swelling with affection for Kurogane. Even though the ninja hadn't been especially eloquent in his wording, Fai knew exactly what he meant to say: "You know you're the only one I could ever really be in love with, idiot." Kurogane pressed his lips against Fai's, kissing him with the fiery passion that Fai loved so much. Fai laughed softly against Kurogane's neck.

"I guess it was pretty silly of me to be jealous, huh? I'm glad I'm not Kurochuu's sister."

"Yeah," Kurogane agreed, kissing him again. "That would just be creepy."

* * *

**A/N: **Am I the only one who wondered if Fai was jealous when he kept reminding Kurogane that the Piffle Tomoyo wasn't the same as his princess? …Probably, huh?


	30. Lone

**A/N: **Three chapters within a week! I'm cruisin'! This is another one that I seriously considered chucking but decided at the last minute to try and salvage it. I hope my efforts were worthwhile!

* * *

**Lone**

Kurogane's eyes snapped open when he felt something cold and wet being pushed into his hand. Fai was smiling and kneeling beside him, silently offering him a glass of ice water which the ninja accepted gratefully.

"Kuropii looks all worn out even though we just woke up!" Fai remarked, ruffling Kurogane's hair fondly.

Kurogane snorted. "_You_ just woke up, you mean. I got up at four to train."

"You must've had a pretty tough workout, huh?" the blond grinned as the warrior took a big gulp of his water. "Kuropun doesn't normally get this sweaty…"

"Yeah, well…" Kurogane paused guiltily.

The real reason he had had to work so hard at today's training session was because of his metal arm. Even though he had gotten it more than four months ago, he still wasn't really used to it. It was noticeably heavier than his real arm which not only threw off his balance but made it difficult to move as quickly as he used to be able to. It had been bothering him increasingly that he couldn't function the way he used to so he'd decided to throw himself into training harder than ever. He couldn't tell Fai this, though, because he knew the magician still kind of blamed himself for making him get it in the first place.

"I just felt like I was falling out of practice so I decided to get my ass in gear," Kurogane finished defensively.

If Fai detected his little white lie, he didn't give any indication; instead his grin widened. Kurogane's eyes narrowed in suspicion over the rim of his glass as he took another drink of water. He had no trouble seeing the mischief in that smile of his.

"Kuromyuu is getting his butt in gear, hmm?" Fai giggled. "I like the sound of that." Then the swordsman understood and his face reddened. "I…THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT, YOU STUPID BASTARD!!"

Fai laughed. "We've been together for quite a while now and you still get so embarrassed when I say things like that! How cute, Kuroron!"

"Look, don't patronize me, asshole," Kurogane growled, trying to force the blush away. "Quit talking to me like I'm some kind of little kid or something."

The mage laughed again and continued to stroke Kurogane's hair. "I'm only playing with you, Kurochii. I don't mean anything by it; you know I love you."

"Hmph," Kurogane snorted, looking away sullenly.

"What, you don't believe me?" Fai pouted. "I _would_ give you a kiss to prove it, but you're all sweaty and yucky right now."

Kurogane finished off the last of his water and sighed heavily, setting the empty glass down on the floor. "Fine," he snarled. "I'll go take a freaking bath!"

"Ah, so Kuromin _does_ want my kisses?" Fai asked gleefully.

Kurogane's face flushed scarlet as the sorcerer pointed out his careless slipup. "I… Hey, don't go getting the wrong idea! I just don't like being sweaty, either!"

Fai grinned after him as he left for the bathroom. Kurogane was terrible at hiding how much he was in love with him and nothing gave Fai more pleasure than watching him try to do so.

* * *

The moment Kurogane was finished with his bath, Fai pounced on him and knocked him to the floor. Kurogane slipped the metal arm around Fai's slender waist and buried his real fingers in his golden hair. He couldn't suppress a grin as Fai began showering him with the promised kisses, purring as he did so.

"Now, do you remember what today is?" Fai asked between kisses.

Kurogane was silent for a moment, wondering if he should give the magician the answer he wanted or if he should mess with him for a bit. It wasn't often that Kurogane got an opportunity to push Fai's buttons for a change; of course he should take it. Anyway, did Fai really think he could possibly have forgotten when he had been reminding him every five seconds for the past week?

"It's Thursday," he grunted defiantly.

"Yes…" Fai agreed. "And?"

"July seventh," Kurogane continued.

Fai pouted. "Mm hmm… Anything else?"

The ninja almost had to bite his lip to conceal a smirk. "The anniversary…"

"Yes!" Fai chirped, looking thoroughly relieved that Kurogane hadn't forgotten.

"…Of the day that ninja manga I always read was first published," he finished, glancing sidelong at Fai's face to see his reaction.

"No!" the sorcerer cried, looking thoroughly crushed. "It's something way more important than that! Come on, Kurosama! Don't tell me you don't remember!"

"Don't be stupid," Kurogane growled. "You know how good my memory is. If it was really something important, there's no way I would forget it. You're just trying to screw with me like you always do."

Fai stared at him blankly, hardly able to believe that he was hearing. He honestly looked like he might cry. Kurogane wondered briefly if his joke had been too mean, then he shook himself. Was he turning into a severe softie or what? He used to kill people without so much as blinking an eye and now here he was feeling bad for almost making this stupid blond cry. It wasn't like he was actually going to blow off their anniversary; he had already made arrangements for that night and he had already gotten Fai a present. No harm done.

Kurogane sat up. "I can't believe what a moron you are," he sighed. Fai looked confused as Kurogane pulled him close so that he could kiss his lips. "Did you seriously think I'd forgotten when you've been talking about nothing else all freaking week long? Of course I remember that it's our anniversary."

Fai pouted and pounded Kurogane's shoulders in playful irritation. "You're so mean, Kurokuro! That was a terrible joke! You almost made me cry!"

"If you don't like having jokes played on you, then don't play them on other people, you idiot," Kurogane smirked, kissing him again. Then his face fell as he suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, shit," he groaned. "Shit, shit, shit!"

"What is it, Kuropiko?" Fai asked, not sure whether to look concerned or not in case Kurogane was trying to play another prank on him.

"I'm on the nightshift tonight!" he snapped. He was furious with himself; how could he have been so stupid as to allow himself to be scheduled on the nightshift on his own anniversary?!

"Nooo!" Fai whined. "That's terrible! You have to go switch with someone or talk to Amaterasu-sama or…!"

Kurogane snorted; he had had enough experience with Amaterasu to know that her inflexibility was basically legendary, especially when she was dealing with him. He seriously doubted that talking to her would accomplish anything.

"Yeah, I don't think that would help anything at all," he told Fai flatly.

"Hmm? Why not?" the blond asked.

"Have you ever even talked to that bitch?" Kurogane started. "She's—"

"Yes, I have, actually," Fai interrupted with a grin. "The two of us had tea last week and we had a nice, long discussion about Kuropipi."

Kurogane stared at him, a mixture of disbelief and revulsion on his face. "…Are you serious?"

"Oh yes," the smaller man answered. "She even said that she'd give us her blessing if we ever decided to get married!"

As much as it made him squirm to think about Fai and Amaterasu discussing him over tea, Kurogane was filled with new hope. If she was that supportive of their relationship, then perhaps there was a chance that she would be willing to let him trade shifts with someone to celebrate their anniversary after all.

* * *

"Absolutely not," Amaterasu said, looking bored as usual.

"Hah?! Why the hell not?!" Kurogane roared.

She shrugged. "No real reason, actually, aside from the fact that it's the perfect chance to exact my revenge on you for all your past prick-ery."

"You twisted bitch…" the ninja snarled, his hands curling tightly into fists. "I thought you told that guy that if we decided to get married, you'd be happy."

"Well, yes," Amaterasu admitted. "I did have hopes that Fai might be able to tame the beast."

"So what gives?!" he demanded.

"Like I told you, revenge, mostly," she repeated.

Kurogane whipped around, seething, preparing to stomp back to his quarters to tell Fai the bad news.

"Don't be too bitter, Kurogane," Amaterasu called after him. "I'm doing you a favor here."

"HOW THE HELL CAN YOU CALL THIS A FAVOR?!"

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder," she reminded him annoyingly. "Waiting for you to get back from your night duty will only make Fai all the more eager for whatever you have planned."

Kurogane was speechless with rage. After gaping at her for a few moments like an idiot, unable to think up a suitable comeback, he simply left her court in silent fury.

* * *

"Can't you just skip your shift, Kuromin?" Fai begged, clutching at the bottom of his cape pleadingly.

"I told you a thousand times, idiot: no!" Kurogane snapped. "I knew it was pointless to ask that heartless bitch! She's probably having a good laugh about it right now."

"Hmm…I really thought she would say it was ok…" the blond pouted.

Kurogane frowned down at Fai, allowing him to glimpse a small portion of his disappointment. Fai gave him a soft sad smile, taking Kurogane's hand and bringing it to his cheek.

"Kurochan really wanted to spend time with me tonight, didn't he?" the magician cooed.

"Well, it _is_ our anniversary," Kurogane grumbled, blushing.

"I really wanted to spend time with you, too…" Fai said, cuddling against him. "Is there any way I could come with you?"

"No," Kurogane said resolutely. "I'm not letting you get hurt if the castle falls under attack tonight. Anyway, I have to be on patrol, so we still couldn't do anything."

He stroked Fai's hair lovingly. "We can just celebrate it tomorrow."

Fai sighed as Kurogane pulled away from him. "It's time for me to go."

The sorcerer kissed his lips passionately.

"Jeez," Kurogane said, slightly embarrassed. "I'm only gonna be gone one night, not a whole freaking month!"

Fai kissed him again, just as passionately as before.

Kurogane cleared his throat, blushing as they parted. "Don't wait up for me," he mumbled. "And this room has booby traps everywhere so you better not touch anything, either."

* * *

Fai closed his eyes and heaved a sigh, hugging himself. He considered allowing himself into a deep pit of self-pity over being all alone on his anniversary night and wallowing in it until Kurogane returned. Then he decided that he didn't feel like it. It would be one thing if Kurogane had left him alone on purpose, or if he had made no effort to change his shift but he had done both of those things, making this unfortunate turn of events completely beyond their control. What was the point in feeling sorry for himself when the one he loved had done everything in his power to make him happy? And although he was sure Kurogane would never say anything, he knew it would upset the ninja if he came home to find that Fai had cried himself to sleep.

Still, he really didn't feel like turning in early, either. Fai looked around the darkening room. Kurogane had warned him not to touch anything because it was booby trapped… The magician couldn't help wondering if the room was booby trapped because there was something here that he didn't want anyone to see. He amused himself with trying to figure out what kind of thing Kurogane might be hiding. Perhaps he had kept his man-purse from Celes? Fai giggled. He had been too wrapped up in his angst trip to tease the swordsman about wearing that thing at the time, but now that he had let all that go, it struck him just how funny it was. Just think of the treasures it might contain! Kurogane's powder puff, a sandwich in case he got hungry, a band-aid, his Mokona Fan Club membership card… Fai snorted with laughter.

Or maybe it was something cute that he was embarrassed to admit to having. Like a stuffed toy doggy or a love story he had written as a teenager or a picture of his first crush with hearts drawn all over it. Fai squirmed with poorly suppressed squeals of adoration. He couldn't wait to find out what his lover might have stashed away under the protection of his deadly hidden snares. Fai hummed a happy little tune as he began digging. The sorcerer opened up Kurogane's bottom dresser drawer carelessly. A flock of ten or so poisonous darts shot out right at his face, but Fai leaned backwards, limbo-style, and avoided them easily, leaving them to embed themselves several inches into the opposite wall.

This turned out to be where Kurogane kept his boxer shorts. Fai pieced through each pair, hoping to find some hidden item in between the folded laundry, or come across a pair that was decorated with hearts or something. Aside from the fact that this was Kurogane's underwear that he was piecing through, the drawer turned out to be rather disappointing. Every pair of boxers was plain and black without any sort of cute or interesting spark to them. Fai could only get so many thrills out of picturing Kurogane modeling them for him before getting bored.

He folded them all up again and placed them back in the drawer neatly. Fai thought it had been rather overkill of the ninja to place his boxers under the lethal guard of ten poison darts, but then Kurogane had always been very possessive of what was his. At least the warrior could rest easy knowing that his undies were well-protected. Fai shut the drawer and moved on to the next one.

This one had some sort of mini flamethrower device rigged up to it. Fai unhooked it with his delicate, nimble fingers and set it aside. Inside was a series of hand-held weapons. Fai was just reaching for a curiously-shaped knife when he pricked his finger on a shuriken. He gasped in pain and watched a red droplet leak from his fingertip before sticking it quickly into his mouth in order to soothe it. The blond decided to just skip that particular drawer and slid it shut again.

The next drawer was guarded with more darts and contained Kurogane's undershirts. These, too, were plain and black and boring. Any other person might have decided there was nothing worthwhile to see here and closed the drawer but the mage was able to find some happiness in the neat order of his lover's shirt drawer. Fai grinned as he removed his own shirt so that he could slip on the ninja's oversized garment. Even though it had been washed after the last time Kurogane had worn it, to Fai it felt pleasantly warm and smelled like the swordsman's cologne.

He sat there, hugging it closer to himself, breathing in the scent. It filled him with an overpowering desire to have Kurogane there, holding him and stroking his hair the way he did late at night when he thought Fai was already asleep. The wizard looked out the window at the sun. It had sunk almost completely below the horizon, meaning that there were only a couple more hours until Kurogane would be with him again.

Fai closed the shirt drawer and wandered over to Kurogane's closet. He was about to slide it open when he noticed a fine clear string attached to the door handle. After following upwards with his eyes, he noticed that it was connected to some kind of precariously balanced container positioned above the door. Fai wasn't sure what it contained, but he was fairly certain that it wouldn't just be water. Acid would be his guess. Fai snipped the string and carefully opened the door.

The closet was basically empty, except for a highly polished oblong box made of red wood. Fai reached for it eagerly. Who would use such a pretty box to contain something that was completely trivial? It probably held something of importance to Kurogane. Fai's body tingled with excitement as he began to reach for it. Then he paused. He could see rusted nails lining the niche that one would normally use to open the box, two flamethrowers rigged up to fry the face of anyone who tried to peek inside, more poison darts hiding in the back wall and a razor sharp ax on a pendulum secured to one side of the closet, waiting to chop an intruder's head off if they opened the box. Fai only got more excited. Something guarded by so many deathtraps must be really special to Kurogane.

It took Fai the better part of forty-five minutes to disarm the traps. It all had to be done very carefully so as not to accidentally set them off and it left him tired and sweaty. Whatever was in that box had better be good, considering all the work he was going through to break in to it. His fingers trembled with excitement and fatigue as he slowly lifted the lid. Fai was right when he guessed that the box contained something important. Inside sat Kurogane's most valued possession: his sword, Ginryuu. The sorcerer was slightly disappointed. This wasn't the kind of prize he had been hoping to find.

He was about to close it and just go to bed when he realized that Ginryuu was not the only thing inside the box. Fai lifted the sword out carefully and set it aside, then blinked in surprise when he realized what he was looking at. There was Fai's red bowtie from Outo, his bandana from Yamano, his goggles from Piffle, his black bowtie from Recourt, his gloves from Tokyo, his spiked collar from Infinity and his ponytail with the ribbon around it (Fai had asked Kurogane to cut his hair for him upon their return to Japan).

Fai was in shock. He couldn't believe that the warrior had kept all this stuff. Of course the memorabilia started from Outo, because that was when the two of them had discovered their feelings for each other. Fai had lost his tie in his battle against Seishirou and Kurogane, thinking the blond was dead, kept it to remember him by. That made enough sense to him. But why hadn't Kurogane disposed of it when he'd found out that Fai had survived? He had seen Kurogane take it out of his pocket and toss it carelessly on the ground once Fai revealed that he was no longer dead. That had to mean that Kurogane couldn't bear to part with it so he had gone back and retrieved it.

Fai had given him the other things, the ones from Yamano, Piffle, and Recourt, partially as a joke after the Outo incident. Each time, Kurogane had made a show of being irritated by his teasing and tossed the items aside. Apparently it had all been an act so that Fai wouldn't know he was keeping this stuff. He must have given it to Mokona to store for him until they got back to Japan, but how he had managed to keep Mokona quiet about it was anybody's guess. Since Fai had been trying to distance himself from Kurogane between Tokyo and Celes, he hadn't given him the usual souvenir. That meant that Kurogane had had to take the initiative to collect the gloves and the collar on his own. The ponytail had been personally rescued by Kurogane as well without any wheedling or prompting from Fai.

The thing that touched Fai the deepest was the fact that not only had Kurogane saved all this stuff, but he had chosen to keep it in the same box with his most prized possession. If he hadn't known Kurogane better, he would have thought that he had just tossed those things into that box simply because it was a convenient place to keep them. But Kurogane wasn't like that; it was extremely rare that he did anything thoughtlessly. He had put them in there because they were things that reminded him of his most precious person, and Ginryuu was the weapon he planned on using to defend that person. Fai squealed joyfully. He loved it when Kurogane showed his deep and poetic side.

Suddenly, the door to the room slid open, startling Fai. He whipped around and saw Kurogane standing in the doorway, holding a bottle of expensive-looking liquor. He stared at Fai, who was still kneeling before the box. His following expressions were priceless: first he looked alarmed, thinking that his lover was about to die in five different horrific ways right before his eyes for opening the box, then he looked confused, wondering how in the world the blond had managed to avoid all his lethal traps, and lastly he looked irritated and embarrassed that Fai had discovered his hidden treasures. Fai's face lit up in a 1,000 watt smile.

"Kurosama!" Completely ignoring the fact that the ninja had a glass bottle in his hand, he tackled Kurogane to the ground and pressed their lips together joyfully.

"Watch it! You're gonna make me break the bottle, you idiot," Kurogane growled, though Fai could tell he wasn't as angry as he wanted to make him think he was. He threaded his fingers through Fai's golden hair and pulled him close for another kiss.

"You're home early!" Fai chirped, sighing happily as he nuzzled against him. "I thought Kuropun would be gone all night!"

"Yeah, well… Tomoyo hime came and put Amaterasu in her place, so…" he shrugged. Then his scowl returned, and with it a slight blush. "But I told you not to touch anything, dumb ass. What the hell were you doing digging through my stuff?"

Fai laughed. "I just wanted to know what Kuropyon was hiding with all these traps. I might've known it would be something cute like this."

"Shut up," Kurogane grumbled, his blush deepening.

"You even saved my ponytail!" he marveled, touching their lips together softly. "That's so sweet, Kuromyuu!"

"You want me to leave again?" the swordsman warned.

"Nooo!" Fai cried, clinging to him as tightly as he could. "I missed you too much!"

"Then shut up about that crap and have a drink," Kurogane said, producing two chilled glasses. "And you'd better like it. This stuff cost me a fortune."

Fai let the ninja pour him a glass, then cuddled up in his lap to drink it while Kurogane held him.

"But you know…" Fai mused. "I wasn't as lonely here by myself as I thought I'd be."

Kurogane looked down at him with a raised eyebrow. Fai smiled and kissed the underside of his chin.

"Well, I knew Kurowanta would come running back to me as fast as he could once his shift was over," the sorcerer grinned. "Plus… I just felt so nice and warm."

Kurogane snorted. "What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"I always feel warm when Kuropii is thinking nice things about me," Fai told him sweetly.

Kurogane blushed again and hurriedly looked down at the ground, causing Fai to giggle at his shyness.

"You were thinking about me the whole time you were at work, weren't you?" the blond asked softly.

"…It _is_ our anniversary," Kurogane mumbled lamely into his glass, his cheeks roughly the same shade as the burgundy wine.

Fai plucked the glass from his grip, set it aside and pushed him down on his back so that he could kiss him passionately. "As long as I know that Kurorin loves me and is thinking about me, I don't ever feel like I'm really alone."

"It won't bother you to never have a second to yourself?" Kurogane asked.

"Not as long as Kurochuu is the one that's with me," Fai answered resolutely.

"Good," he grunted. "I thought I was gonna have to tell you to suck it up and get used to it."

* * *

**A/N: **I feel like I'm getting into a rut with my endings. They all seem the same to me. Please tell me this is only my imagination. Well, that's thirty challenges down, meaning only twenty more to go. To be honest, I was afraid I wouldn't make it this far. It's all thanks to your reviews keeping me motivated. Thanks so much!


	31. Detention

**A/N:** I'm baaaack! And I come bearing a continuation of the Taboo/Yard story. I just have a couple of things to say about this chapter:

First of all, back when I wrote Taboo, someone (or maybe it was several someones; I don't remember for sure) criticized my choice of characters that I made to be Fai's main persecutors, and since I'm bringing them back, albeit briefly, in this chapter, I felt the need to explain why I had chosen them in the first place. Fei Wang and Kyle- this one should be fairly obvious, since they're the main villains in Tsubasa. Seishirou- I try to use him as little as possible because I know he has a ton of hardcore fans and I never read anything with him in it so I'm pretty sure I'll end up screwing him up, but I needed someone. I chose him because of the incident in Outo where he "killed" Fai. Shaoron- I know he wouldn't be evil outside the Tsubasa context, but he did eat Fai's eyeball out and did quite a number on that world that the group visited very briefly before Infinity.

Secondly, I know that elementary schoolers don't get detention, but I wanted to continue with this storyline so I hope everyone will forgive me. I'm also pretty sure that a kid in detention wouldn't be required to skip regular school in order to be there, but that was necessary to the plot line, too, so I hope you can forgive that as well.

Thirdly… I've never been to detention (although I did go to the principal's office once in elementary school when I went nuts and flipped out on this kid who made some stupid little comment at me. I've always been a goody-goody and that experience basically scared the shit out of me so badly that I never tried anything like that again). So I don't really know what it's like there, and all I have to go on is what I've seen on movies. Heh. Ok, that's all I have to say, so I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

**Detention**

Kurogane yawned and glanced at the clock above the classroom door. There was still a good twenty-five minutes before school started. He heaved a sigh. His mother had had to take him to school today because he'd overslept and missed the bus. Since the bus had to stop and pick up so many kids before reaching the school, he'd ended up arriving quite a while before it had. Kurogane grumbled to himself, thinking that he should have slept later so he didn't have to sit around in the lame ass classroom for so long before school started. For some reason, he always felt lethargic in the early summer, and now that school was about to end for the year, that lethargy was really starting to kick in.

Suddenly the classroom door slid open and someone pranced in, exhibiting way too much energy. It took him a moment through his daze to recognize the person as Fai. He was dressed adorably in khaki shorts and a new polo shirt, and his face was aglow with such joy that Kurogane almost felt the need to shield his eyes. The little blond grinned at him and skipped over to where his friend was sitting.

"Good morning, Kurochan!" he chirped. Kurogane opened his mouth to reply, but Fai leaned down and kissed his lips sweetly. The dark-haired boy's face went scarlet.

"Y-Y-YOU IDIOT!!" he sputtered. "DON'T JUST DO THAT OUT OF NOWHERE!! YOU TRYING TO GIVE ME A HEART ATTACK?!"

"It's fine, Kuropin," Fai said easily. "No one else is even here yet."

Fai was right; the two of them were the only ones in the room so far. Their teacher, Mrs. Li, had been in earlier but she appeared to have stepped out for the moment. Kurogane didn't find reassurance in this, however.

"WHAT IF THE TEACHER WALKED IN?!"

Fai shrugged. "Well, Kuromyuu _is_ very cute, so I'm sure Mrs. Li would understand."

"I'M _NOT_ CUTE!!" Kurogane snapped back.

"Besides," the smaller boy continued, ignoring him, "I thought Kurochii liked my kisses."

The taller boy fell into a sullen silence. As much as he hated to admit it, Fai was right. He had grown to love the blond's kisses and if they were to suddenly stop, he was sure he'd go into withdrawal. True or not, the dark-haired boy was not about to admit this to Fai. Then again, to deny it would only bring trouble as well. Kurogane decided to just drop the whole thing.

Fai looked surprised. "Hmm? You're not even going to yell at me anymore?"

Kurogane sighed and shrugged. "'S not worth it. Anyway, I'm tired."

The smaller boy's face grew concerned as Kurogane laid his head down on his desk. "Is everything alright, Kurotan?" he asked softly, caressing his friend's cheek. "Are you sick?"

"Nah, I'm always like this right before summer vacation," he mumbled, blushing slightly at Fai's worry for him.

Fai didn't look convinced. "You're not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?"

He felt Kurogane's forehead, checking for a fever, but his temperature was normal. Kurogane's blush deepened. "You think I'm lying? I don't tell lies. You're the one who has a problem with lying, not me."

Fai sighed and smiled apologetically at him. "I'm sorry, Kurosama… I didn't mean to make you mad, I just… I wanted to be sure that you were ok, because you're my most important person and… I love you."

He leaned forward and placed another soft kiss on his lips. Kurogane, by now, was so embarrassed that, if it were humanly possible, steam would have been pouring from his ears. Fai giggled as the flustered dark-haired boy cleared his throat and tugged at the collar of his uniform. He pulled Kurogane close to let him rest his head on his shoulder while he stroked his raven hair.

"S-so…um," Kurogane stammered, carefully avoiding his eyes as he changed the subject, "what were you so excited about before when you came in?"

"Oh, right! I was so busy thinking about how cute Kuropyon is that I almost forgot!" Fai sang. "There's a big festival tonight! I thought maybe we could go together!"

Kurogane blinked. "…A festival, huh?"

"Mm hmm," the blond said, his eyelids lowered flirtatiously. "A _lovers'_ festival."

"Lov-…Wh-what?!" Kurogane blushed deeply. "Forget it!"

"Hmm? But whyyyy?!" Fai cried. "I was all excited and everything! It'll be our first date!"

"It's too weird, two guys going to a lo-… a festival like _that_ together!" He went quiet for a moment, his cheeks burning, his eyes averted. "…We can do something together by ourselves, so… just forget the festival thing, alright?"

"Nooo!!" Fai wailed. "I love you and I wanna go to the festival with you! I even spent all night thinking about how sweet Kurochii would look in his yukata!"

Kurogane heaved a sigh. There was just no dissuading Fai once he got one of these crazy ideas lodged in his head. Fai, taking his exhale as a sign of agreement, cheered and threw his arms around his shoulders, pressing their lips together happily once more. The blond was so happy that Kurogane didn't have the heart to point out that he hadn't exactly agreed.

"By the way, Kurowanwan," the smaller boy said excitedly. "Look what I have taped to the inside of my desk!"

He opened his desk. Taped to the inside on the lid was the picture that Kurogane had drawn him for his birthday. Kurogane's face blazed again and he quickly snapped Fai's desk shut. "Are you an idiot?!" he hissed furiously. "What are people gonna think if they see that?! They're already starting to think there's something going on with us!"

"But it makes me so happy every time I look at it…" Fai pouted. "Since people at school aren't usually very nice to me, I thought it might be nice to have it here to cheer me up…"

Kurogane felt a pang in his heart. As much as he hated mushy, lovey-dovey stuff, he was genuinely touched that his simple drawing could bring Fai such joy.

Fai noticed his internal conflict and grinned. "You're adorable, Kuropin. Have I told you that recently?"

"Shut up," he mumbled, shoving Fai away.

Fai was just reaching for him again to wrap him in his inescapable iron grip when the classroom door suddenly slid open again. The bus had arrived, bringing with it ninety-five percent of their classmates, including all the boys who had been part of the terrible bullying incidents that had happened in the winter and on Fai's birthday in the spring. There stood Fei Wang, Kyle, Seishirou and Syaoron, in all their stupid, annoying, butt-scented glory. Just looking at them, remembering what they had done to his precious Fai, made Kurogane's blood boil. Fai blushed slightly when he saw them, hurriedly jerked away from Kurogane and pretended to be busy looking for something in his desk. Apparently he hoped that if he didn't make eye contact, they wouldn't bother him. But he had been too late in pulling away from Kurogane; the bullies had already seen. Evil grins spread across their faces simultaneously. Fei Wang, the leader of the little gang, stepped forward menacingly.

"I thought I smelled something sick," he smirked. "I should've known it was you two gay-wads!"

The other kids laughed loudly. Fai tried to bury himself deeper in his desk, pretending not to have heard. Kurogane was not so passive. He jumped to his feet, his hands balling themselves into fists at his sides, his face burning brilliantly.

"Say one more thing," Kurogane snarled dangerously, "and I swear I'll tear your throat out with my bare hands!"

While the dark-haired boy was busy staring down Fei Wang, Kyle, Seishirou and Syaoron had snuck around behind Fai for a surprise attack. Seishirou looped his arm around Fai's neck, holding him in a headlock while Kyle snatched the drawing that Fai had taped to the inside lid of his desk. He didn't bother removing it carefully so it tore off the top and bottom of the picture where it had been secured with tape. Fai squeaked and struggled desperately against Seishirou's hold, wanting to rescue his prized drawing, but Seishirou tightened his grip, making Fai choke and gasp for air. Kyle looked at it and laughed in pure sinister glee. Syaoron snatched it so that he could have a look and he too laughed cruelly before holding it up for the rest of the class to see.

"Isn't this cute?" he sneered. "Hey, check out this picture that Kuro-gay drew for his boyfriend, the jinx!"

Kurogane whipped around as the rest of the class laughed, his eyes blazing with fury. Faster than anyone's eyes could follow, he jumped over his chair and sprinted to Fai's rescue. He took Seishirou first, punching him as hard as he could in the side of the head, knocking his glasses off with such force that they hit the wall and cracked, forcing him to let go of the little blond. He went for Syaoron next, driving his fist deep into his stomach. Kyle snatched the drawing from Syaoron, folded it expertly into a paper airplane, and threw it to Fei Wang. Kurogane lifted Syaoron off his feet by his lapels and threw him at Kyle as hard as he could, knocking them both into the desks behind them. Fai let out a little cry of pain and despair. Kurogane followed his gaze, and rounded on Fei Wang just in time to see him tearing the drawing to pieces, tossing the remnants on the ground and spitting on them.

The dark-haired boy threw another glance at Fai, saw silent tears beginning to roll down his fair cheeks and threw himself at Fei Wang, carelessly knocking aside the desks in his way. Kurogane grabbed him around the neck as hard as he could and dragged him from the classroom, completely heedless to Fei's choking and struggling. He didn't even notice Fei beating on him furiously, trying to free himself. Kurogane jerked him into the bathroom, kicked open the door of the first stall and plunged Fei's head into the toilet, holding him there roughly by a handful of his hair. After a few seconds, he yanked him out, letting him gasp and cough for a second before forcing it right back under the water. Kurogane actually managed to do this about two more times before a skinny but surprisingly strong arm wrapped around his waist and pulled him back.

Kurogane looked up at the person who had stopped his rampage. He found himself staring into the frigid gray eyes of Ashura sensei, the fifth grade teacher. His face was completely devoid of its usual smile, and though he wasn't frowning, Kurogane found himself struck with just the smallest pang of fear sprouting in the midst of his blind rage. Other boys were flooding into the bathroom to see the infamous Ashura sensei in action against the equally infamous Kurogane Youou, while the girls lingered outside, shouting eager questions to their male friends who were inside. Kurogane and the teacher stared each other down for a moment before Kurogane looked back down at the gasping, sputtering frame of Fei Wang and dunked his head back into the toilet one last time.

* * *

Kurogane heaved a sigh, exhausted after his outburst and having to retell his story several times to the headmistress, Yuuko. Considering how badly he had flipped out on Fei, Kyle, Seishirou and Syaoron, he had walked away with a surprisingly mild sentence. They were even being punished, too, in an unusual act of justice. Kurogane wondered why they usually got off scot-free; Yuuko didn't seem like the type to put much stock in the rumors about Fai and the supposed curse that surrounded him. He didn't want to think that the only reason the other boys had been punished was because they had provoked him as well as Fai. Kurogane's punishment was to sit in detention until 7:30 that night.

Even though the punishment hadn't been as heavy as he had expected, Kurogane was still highly displeased about it. He hated school; he hated sitting in class and being forced to learn all this pointless shit that he already knew and probably would never use, he hated a majority of the people in his class, and he hated how, after wasting eight hours a day in the worthless place, he was forced to bring more work home with him. Now he was being forced to stay in the cursed place for four extra hours. He laid his head down on his desk, thinking that at the very least he would be able to catch up on some sleep.

"Hey!" the supervisor called sharply. "No sleeping! Get your head off that desk right now!"

Kurogane snarled and grudgingly sat up.

"If I see you doing anything besides homework, you'll be in even deeper trouble," the supervisor warned. "Don't push your luck, kid."

* * *

Kurogane was only four hours into his sentence and already he was wishing for death. It was agonizingly boring; he only had so much homework he could do before he ran out of stuff to occupy himself. The room was small and warm, which only made it more difficult to stay awake. He had started to nod off several times, causing the supervisor to have to yell at him to snap him out of it.

Then there was this older girl a few desks away from him who kept making flirty eyes at him. It wasn't that she was bad-looking or anything, but the way she stared at him unblinkingly, constantly trying to draw his attention to her full pouty lips was a little creepy. No, actually it was a lot creepy. Kurogane tried giving her his meanest glare to scare her off, but she seemed to like that so he stopped. Then he tried to make a wall around himself with folders to block her view, but the supervisor just yelled at him again and forced him to take it down. He was pretty sure it wouldn't have helped much anyway; even for the few moments that he had had the wall up, he could still feel her gaze burning through the glossy cardstock of his folders.

He was highly relieved, therefore, when Fai appeared around noon to deliver his lunch. The supervisor and the older girl were busy retrieving their own food, allowing Fai a few moments to talk to his friend. The smaller boy sat down in the desk across from him, still looking crushed over the fate of his drawing, and Kurogane felt his heart aching in response to seeing Fai in pain. But Fai still had a smile for him, though it was the sad, apologetic one that Kurogane hated. He looked around to see that no one was watching and leaned forward to give Kurogane a quick kiss. Kurogane blushed but said nothing.

"Thank you for standing up for me again, Kurosama," the beautiful blond whispered.

"It wasn't that big of a deal," Kurogane mumbled, his cheeks still burning.

"I made lunch for you," Fai said, taking the carefully made bentou from his bag and setting on the desk in front of his friend. "Rice and grilled fish."

Kurogane removed the lid and looked down in surprise at the perfect meal that Fai had prepared for him.

"_You_ made this?" he asked.

Fai's cheeks turned a bit pink. "Well, my mom helped a little. But I did _most_ of the work!"

Kurogane snorted doubtfully as he picked up his chopsticks and tried some of the rice. It was ten times better than the rice that he could make himself.

"What do you think, Kurochuu?" Fai asked tentatively.

"Not bad," Kurogane admitted.

Fai's face split into a huge smile and Kurogane had to look away to hide a small grin of his own.

"So how long do you have to stay in detention?" Fai asked, still smiling a little.

Kurogane's heart sunk again when he remembered how long he would be trapped in this hell hole. "'Til 7:30 tonight," he replied glumly.

Fai's face fell. "But the festival starts at six thirty!"

"Doesn't really matter if we miss the first hour, right?" Kurogane asked, trying to calm him down. "Festivals usually last until midnight or something like that."

"Yes, but…" Fai sighed, looking deeply disappointed. "I don't want to miss any time with Kurowanwan… I… When I'm not with you, it kind of hurts, you know?"

The blond tried to smile but he just ended up looking miserable. "Sorry, Kuromyuu… You…you don't like it when I say lovey-dovey stuff like that, do you?"

"…Hmph," Kurogane replied elusively, a blush coming to his cheeks.

"Anyway, it's my fault that you're even in here in the first place," Fai continued sadly. "You only did those things because… you were trying to protect me."

"Yeah, well… if I had the chance, I'd just do it all over again," he growled. "I'm not sorry for what I did to those jerks. They deserved it."

Fai's sapphire eyes sparkled with deep affection. "If I wasn't worried that someone would see, I'd kiss you, Kurochuu."

The two boys lapsed into a slightly embarrassed silence, Kurogane picking absentmindedly at a rip in his folder. They only looked up when the girl and the supervisor returned to the room with their lunches. Fai stood up, knowing that he would be kicked out soon anyway. He turned to leave, then paused and turned back around, a thoughtful expression on his beautiful face. The blond leaned down and put his hand around his mouth, beckoning Kurogane closer so that he could whisper something to him.

"I'll find a way to get you out of here, alright, Kuropin?" he hissed. "Just wait, ok?"

"Yeah, sure," Kurogane replied with a mixture of disbelief and amusement. Fai couldn't be serious about this. How in the world could he possibly hope to get him out of here without them being caught and dragged right back? Fai would be in trouble then, too. He wasn't _that_ stupid, was he?

"I will," Fai whispered. "Just wait."

Before Kurogane could say anything else, Fai gave him a sly little smile and hurried out of the room.

* * *

Kurogane looked up at the clock desperately and groaned. It was only two minutes later than the last time he'd checked it. It felt like at least ten had gone by. That girl had started tossing notes to him. The supervisor appeared to either not notice or not care. Kurogane, too, did his best to ignore her, but he couldn't resist having a peek at the notes. Every time he opened one, he always wished he hadn't.

_U R pretty cute. What is your name? My name is Jorougumo._

_I'm in 5th grade. What grade R U in cutie?_

_Don't be shy pass me a note! Anyway I like shy boys lol!_

_I put a kiss on this 1 4 U. If you put UR tongue on it U can taste my lip gloss. Try it it tastes good._

Kurogane had to work hard to suppress a shudder at that last one. What kind of psycho was this girl and why couldn't she just leave him to suffer out the remainder of his sentence in peace?! Finally he got fed up and sent her a note back.

_If I say I'm taken will you leave me alone?_

He watched her read it out of the corner of his eye. His heart sunk when she laughed and quickly scribbled a note back to him.

_Probably not. Who R U taken by? Is it that blond kid that was in here earlier? UR not gay R U? lol!_

Try as he might to control himself, Kurogane's face burned when he read her response. He crumbled it up and stomped on it as hard as he could, doing his best to ignore her silent laughter. When she refused to give it a rest, he picked the note up again, tore it up and then stomped on it once more. Stupid girl, poking around where she wasn't wanted and making accusations like that! Fai had better get his skinny little ass over here and bust him out of here before he went crazy.

* * *

When the bell rang at three thirty, the butterflies in Fai's stomach went wild. It was time to set his plans in action. He had thought of several ideas over the course of the school day, but in the end, he had ended up scrapping them all. There were just too many factors working against him in order for any of the plans he had cooked up to be successful. For one thing, all of them required Kurogane to immediately realize what was going on so that he could escape while the supervisor was occupied. Not that Fai had any lack of confidence in Kurogane's intelligence, but if his escape plan was going to be good enough to fool the teacher, then there was no guarantee that Kurogane would recognize it as Fai's attempt to spring him loose. And if he was caught in the midst of an escape attempt, then there was no way he would be getting out of there. So basically, he had made a big promise and now he found himself without any means of fulfilling it. Fai bit his lip nervously, thinking hard. That was when he passed the soda machine…

* * *

Kurogane stretched his legs under his desk, trying to wake himself up. After that stupid girl had gotten tired of messing with him, things had become pretty dead and the room was warmer than ever. Normally he wouldn't bother trying to keep himself awake, but Fai had promised to help him escape so he had to keep his eyes open for the blond to set things in motion. He wasn't about to let himself sleep through Fai's attempt to help him escape. But he was just so sleepy…

Suddenly, the door opened and someone walked in. A small, skinny, blond someone. Kurogane was instantly alert. What the hell was Fai thinking, just walking in like that? He wasn't going to try telling the supervisor that Kurogane was wanted in the office, was he? That would never work! The supervisor had already seen Fai in there at lunch time, so he knew the two of them were friends. Kurogane stared at him intently, begging him silently not to do anything stupid, but Fai hardly looked at him. Instead he set a tall bottle of water on the supervisor's desk. The supervisor looked up at him and jumped when he recognized the visitor as Fai. His face contorted into a look of barely concealed disgust at the sight of the "jinxed" boy standing before him.

"Yeah, what do you want?" he asked coldly.

Fai's face turned a delicate shade of pink. "Uh-um… Ashura sensei thought you might be thirsty after watching these guys all day, so he… he asked me to bring this to you."

The supervisor looked surprised. "Ashura sensei did?"

"Yes, so, um… enjoy!" Fai spun around to make his exit. For just a fraction of a second, he glanced in Kurogane's direction and winked, then left just as suddenly as he'd come.

Fai left the detention room feeling pretty smart. Not only had he alerted Kurogane that he was on the move but this could also work as a way of getting rid of the supervisor. If he drank that whole bottle of water, he would surely need to use the bathroom and that would give Kurogane a chance to escape. But it would take a while for the supervisor to finish off the bottle. There was nothing for Fai to do now but sit and wait.

* * *

Kurogane was starting to get worried. It had been an hour and twenty minutes since Fai had made his appearance but he hadn't seen hide nor hair of him since. Could he have been caught? If not, then what in the world was that fool blond waiting for? Kurogane watched impatiently as the supervisor drained the bottle of water that Fai had brought him. He wondered idly if that had been part of some plan of Fai's. Was he waiting for the supervisor to step out to use the bathroom? Well, whether that was Fai's intention or not, it wasn't working. The blond had better get moving if he wanted them to get to the festival on time.

* * *

Fai pouted, twisting the hem of his shirt anxiously as he looked at the clock again. How could that supervisor have consumed the whole bottle of water and not have to pee? Was the guy some kind of camel or something that could consume gallons of water without batting an eye? Apparently another plan was in order. But he didn't have any other plans! None of the ones he had come up with had been good enough! And if he didn't hurry, they wouldn't have time to go home and get their yukatas on before it was time for the festival to start! Fai began to pace back and forth beneath the clock, fiddling absently with a strand of his golden hair as he tried desperately to churn out a new idea. Perhaps if he sat outside the window with a sock puppet and refused to quit tapping on the glass, the supervisor would…

"Problems, Fai?" a smooth female voice asked from right beside him.

Fai started and looked up at the tall, shapely figure that had sneaked up on him. His heart nearly jumped out of his throat when he saw that it was Yuuko.

"Oh, no! Just waiting for my ride home, that's all!" he lied quickly, grinning.

Yuuko raised an eyebrow at him and glanced up at the clock. "Still? School got out almost an hour and a half ago. Are you sure they haven't forgotten? Maybe you should use the phone in the office and call to make sure."

"No, it's ok," Fai insisted, his grin still firmly in place. "My mom told me that she might be a little late, so…"

He trailed off as she smiled and reached out to run her fingers through his hair.

"Why don't you tell me the real reason that you're still here?" she requested calmly.

Fai smiled apologetically as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ah ha ha, looks like you saw right through me, huh?" he laughed.

"Call it a woman's intuition," she said with a wink. "Now, if I had to guess… I'd say you were hoping to find a way to free Kurogane from detention. Am I right?"

"Hyuu! You really have me all figured out, don't you?" Fai whistled.

"Sure looks like it," she replied easily.

"Are you going to stop me?" he asked.

Yuuko was quiet for a moment, smiling as she looked him over. "What would you do if I said yes?"

Fai put a finger to his pale pink lips, considering his options. Then his smile reappeared, apologetic once again. "Hmm… actually, I might try to push you down, grab Kurotan from that room and run for it."

She laughed. "Really?"

"And if that didn't work, I suppose I would probably cry and see if I could make you feel sorry for me," he admitted, joining in on her laughter.

"I see," Yuuko said with thoughtful amusement. He had been honest about his intentions and showed that he was determined to rescue Kurogane, even at the cost of putting himself in some serious doody. That meant that the blond boy had passed her test.

"So… are you going to stop me?" Fai asked again.

"Well, I've always been a bit soft when it comes to children in love," she told him. She caressed his cheek in a sisterly manner. "You _do_ love him, don't you?"

Fai's smile softened and his cheeks colored slightly. "…Yes… very much."

Yuuko squealed in delight, nuzzling her face into his hair as she hugged him. "Aww! That's just adorable! I totally support you two!"

"You won't stop me, then?" he asked, his hopeful smile widening.

"Of course not!" Yuuko declared. "Who am I to interfere with true love?"

Fai smiled, looking a little embarrassed. Then his face fell as he remembered that he still had no idea how he was going to go about this.

"Something wrong?" Yuuko asked.

"Well… the problem is that no matter how badly I want to rescue Kurosama, I still don't know how I should do it," he admitted. "I've been working on it since lunchtime, but none of my ideas seemed good enough…"

Yuuko looked thoughtful. "Hmm… That _is_ a problem."

"Yeah…" Fai agreed, lapsing into silence.

Yuuko let him stew for a moment before speaking up again. "What if I offered to help? Would you accept?"

Fai blinked at her in surprise, hardly daring to believe what he was hearing. Did she realize who she was talking to? He was the cursed boy whom pretty much everyone in town, adults and children alike, hated. Why would she want to associate with him, let alone help him? But she was smiling at him, awaiting his answer, and Fai had to admit that he could definitely use some assistance.

"Alright," he agreed gratefully.

* * *

Kurogane's head nodded sleepily. Jorougumo had been allowed to go home, meaning that he no longer had her to make him uncomfortable enough to stay awake, plus he had long since run out of homework and had basically given up on the idea of Fai rescuing him. The supervisor was immersed in a car magazine and wasn't paying attention to him anymore. The dark-haired boy stifled a yawn and lowered his head onto his desk, thinking that he may finally get the nap he had been longing for all day long. He was very surprised, therefore, when the window beside him was suddenly kicked open.

Kurogane and the supervisor both jumped to their feet, startled by the unexpected appearance of two black-clad figures who had burst in through the open window. One of the figures was small and skinny and held a length of rope. The other was tall, with an hourglass figure and long black hair pulled back into a ponytail, and she carried a bow and arrows. Rather than having a sharp arrowhead on the arrows, however, there was a flat heart-shaped stamp at the end.

"Who the hell are you?!" the supervisor demanded.

"We're ninjas!" the smaller figure replied cheerfully. "We've come to rescue Kuropon from detention!"

"What?!" the supervisor spat.

"Yes, that's exactly right!" the female intruder agreed. "So out of the way or I will have no choice but to shoot you!"

"Look, I don't know who you guys are, but you can't just burst in here, and--!"

The female intruder strung one of her strange arrows. "Goodness, he sure talks a lot, doesn't he? I guess I have no choice, then."

She took aim and let her arrow fly.

"Bull's eye!" she sang.

As soon as the supervisor had keeled over backwards, the smaller figure dashed forward and pounced on Kurogane, knocking off his feet. Kurogane struggled, but his attacker lifted up the bottom portion of his ski mask and pressed his lips softly against the dark-haired boy's. Kurogane blushed and stopped thrashing. He recognized that kiss. This person who had burst in and tackled him like a crazed maniac was Fai. Kurogane would know those soft lips and that sincere love anywhere. And even though he had had plenty of previous experience with Fai's affection before, Kurogane could still feel his heart fluttering joyfully at the contact. It was as if he was kissing him for the first time. Kurogane was so swept up in the sensation of Fai's kiss that he didn't even realize that he was being tied up until the blond's slender fingers were finishing up the final knot.

"H-HEY!! WHAT THE HECK IS THIS?!" Kurogane roared, his face burning crimson. "UNTIE ME, YOU MORON!!"

"Sorry, Kuropon," Fai grinned, tweaking his nose playfully, "but I can't have you squirming around while we're making our escape."

"I CAN WALK JUST FINE ON MY OWN!!" he snapped. "LET ME OUT OF THESE STUPID ROPES RIGHT NOW!! AND WHO THE HECK IS SHE?!"

"I already told you, Kurochii: she's a ninja," the little blond answered patiently. "Now, it's time to make our daring escape!"

Kurogane blinked at him, a mixture of confusion and irritation on his face. "How in the world are you planning to get me out of here when I'm all tied up like this? The supervisor isn't watching anymore, anyway; just untie me and let me walk!"

"But that wouldn't be as cool!" the mysterious female "ninja" pointed out.

"She's right, what would be the fun in just walking away?" Fai asked. "I'm going to carry you away!"

As much as Kurogane loved Fai and appreciated him getting him out of detention a whole hour and a half early, the dark-haired boy really wanted to punch him in the nose when he said that. "ARE YOU COMPLETELY RETARDED?! THERE'S NO FREAKING WAY YOU'RE GOING TO CARRY ME ALL THE WAY HOME!! I'M BIGGER THAN YOU ARE, MORON!!"

"I can so!" Fai insisted. "Just watch!"

The little blond made a valiant attempt to pick Kurogane up. He actually managed to get him about two inches off the ground before his strength gave out and he had to drop him again, panting.

"Well, it looks like you've got this situation pretty much under control," Yuuko said, grinning under her ski mask. "I'll just leave you two lovebirds to it, alright?"

"Love… HEY!! WE'RE NOT—GET BACK HERE, YOU!!" Kurogane howled, his face flushing deeply.

"Quit moving around, Kurochan," Fai requested, putting his arms around his waist as he prepared to pick him up again. "It's much harder for me to carry you to safety when you keep squirming."

Kurogane watched in silent exasperation as Fai tried again and again to sling him over his shoulder. He even removed his ski mask, finding it too warm when he was doing such strenuous work. Kurogane could see little beads of sweat standing out against Fai's pale skin. Finally, Fai stopped, exhausted and discouraged.

"Why don't you just give up?" Kurogane suggested in a dull tone. "It's not going to work, so just forget about it."

"I can't…" the smaller boy squeaked. "Kurosama never gives up on me when I need to be rescued, so I…" He sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow. "I feel so useless, having to be saved all the time… I thought maybe, just this once, I could be Kurotan's hero."

Kurogane stared at him. This wasn't the answer he had been expecting Fai to give him.

Fai smiled sadly. "Guess I was wrong, huh?" He lowered his eyes in shame. "I'll… I'll never be anything but a hassle for Kuropipi…"

Kurogane heaved a sigh. He could see that this was going to be another one of those increasingly frequent moments where he would have to force himself to swallow his pride and admit his true feelings to his disheartened lover. This kind of thing seemed to happen a lot now that he and Fai were together. He growled as he struggled to free his arms from the ropes that bound him and swept the smaller boy into a hug.

"Look, you already saved me, alright? I'm out of detention. Being stuck in this stupid room for another hour and a half would be a way bigger hassle than spending my whole life with you, so…"

Fai pulled away slightly in surprise so he could study Kurogane's face when he trailed off. The taller boy's cheeks were bright pink.

"So, thanks, I guess…" he finished in a mumble.

Fai couldn't help smiling as he pulled Kurogane close once more. Even though Kurogane was brash and hot-tempered most of the time, all that was worth it for the rare moments when he shyly exposed his feelings to Fai. The little blond stood on his tiptoes so that he could kiss him.

"You're welcome, Kurochan," he breathed. "I was happy to do it."

"Yeah…so, now can you untie me?" Kurogane huffed, still blushing. "I'm starting to lose the feeling in my legs."

Fai obligingly knelt down and untied him. Kurogane stretched his legs gingerly, wincing at the strange tingly feeling that was running through them.

"So," the dark-haired boy said eventually, once some of the feeling had returned to his legs, "are we gonna go to that festival thing or what?"

Fai nodded eagerly and flashed him a smile of pure joy as he took his hand, lacing their fingers together happily. The two of them stepped over the incapacitated body of the supervisor and began to make their way home to change for the festival.

* * *

**A/N:** Man, I had such a hard time writing this. I'll bet it shows, too, doesn't it? This definitely isn't one of my better ones.

And just because I know someone's going to ask, the supervisor isn't meant to be a Clamp character. He's just a random guy that I was too lazy to give a proper name.


	32. Juvenile

**A/N:** Hey, I'm back with more of Their Love in Fifty Words! I decided to go with a sort of continuation/epilogue deally of my last mini-series (the one where they were princes who got married at the end). Even though I was calling Fai "Yuui" at the end of that story, I'm going to go back to calling him Fai now. Mostly, it's because I like the name Fai better than Yuui, and it's what I'm used to typing, so… Fai it is! I just wanted to clarify that before we got started. Enjoy!

* * *

**Juvenile**

Fai flopped down on his and Kurogane's huge king-sized bed, absolutely exhausted. His sleek white cat, Mokona, who had been curled up between the pillows asleep meowed in alarm at the sudden disturbance. Fai rolled over and scratched her behind the ears apologetically. Mokona emerged from the pillows to stretch luxuriously before climbing up onto Fai's stomach and going right back to sleep, purring loudly as he scratched her.

It had been a long, demanding day. Even though it had been about seven months since their coronation and wedding, both he and Kurogane were still undergoing training to prepare them for their leadership duties. Since there were two of them, they split their obligations between them; Fai was in charge of internal affairs while Kurogane took care of foreign diplomacy. Even this way, with each of them doing half the work, the training was almost overwhelming. Fai couldn't imagine what it would be like if one of them had to shoulder all the responsibility.

He knew that the alternatives to this arrangement were even worse than their present situation, but he couldn't help thinking that maybe he shouldn't have accepted the position of king of Suwa and Celes. For one thing, he felt like he hardly got to spend time with Kurogane anymore, and what they were able to get was marred by the fact that both of them were always worn out from their hours of kingly training. It made him bitterly miss the days they had spent cooking together, having picnics on the roof, napping in the garden, and eating apples in the orchard. If only they could do their training together, Fai was sure even that could be made more bearable if he was able to sit in Kurogane's lap as he listened and completed the exercises.

Aside from not getting to spend nearly enough time together, the stress and high responsibility of their position was getting to them as well. Maybe it was because Fai wasn't capable of seeing the changes in himself as much, but it seemed to him that Kurogane, especially, had taken a turn for the worse. When Fai had first met him, Kurogane's short-temperedness had seemed to be, for the most part, his way of covering up his natural sweet and shy nature. Now it was like he was short-tempered because he actually hated the world and everything in it. The smallest things would set him off into fits of rage and cause him to swear and throw things, and then fume in silence for hours afterwards. When he wasn't throwing a tantrum, he was silent and moody.

Even though Kurogane hated it when Fai worried or fussed over him, the blond couldn't help being scared for him. Ever since their training had begun to really get intensive, the dark-haired prince seemed to have lost his appetite and this, in turn, affected Fai's ability to enjoy his own food. Both of them had lost weight after Kurogane had lost his parents and Fai had lost his twin, and now they were continuing their downward spiral. Neither of them had had much weight to spare in the first place, and Fai was aware that both of them were starting to look a bit skeletal. Not only that, but Fai had a hard time remembering the last time he had actually seen Kurogane asleep. Though they both crawled into bed together at the end of each day, Fai couldn't recall ever having seen Kurogane close his eyes. He would be awake when Fai was finally able to drift off and he would still be awake when Fai opened his eyes again the next morning. The dark-haired king was starting to develop dark shadows around his eyes, making them look sunken in. Fai had started noticing a similar effect on himself when he realized that Kurogane was having such difficulty sleeping.

Fai knew when they had first gotten married how deeply Kurogane cared for him, but now he wasn't so sure. He very rarely responded to Fai's affection these days and sometimes would refuse it outright. This, in turn, brought out the worst in Fai. He felt alienated, lonely, empty and unwanted. Even though he did his best to smile like he always did, behind closed doors Fai felt as though he was constantly on the verge of tears. Hoping to find some consolation, he went to visit his entertainment friends for the first time in months yesterday. It wasn't that he'd been avoiding them; he simply hadn't had time before then. He managed a small smile at the memory of their supportiveness. They had all been eager to offer him comfort…

"_Eh?! Fai san?!" Sakura gasped as she opened the door to find him standing there. "Everyone! Fai san is back!"_

_In spite of his troubles, Fai couldn't help smiling a little as all the girls welcomed him into the practice hall and clustered around him excitedly. Nakuru squealed joyfully and threw her arms around him. He grinned sheepishly as she persuaded him to sit in her lap and nuzzled her cheek against his hair affectionately. The other girls sat down with them, practically bubbling over with questions._

"_Oh, Fai kun! You look terrible! Like you haven't eaten or slept in a really long time!"_

"_Where have you been, Fai kun? We haven't seen you in ages!"_

"_Is it fun being king?"_

"_Chii?"_

"_How come you don't come visit us anymore?"_

"_I'm sorry," Fai said earnestly. "I really wanted to come see you guys sooner, but I guess it takes a lot of training if you want to be a good king. Kurosama and I have both been really busy ever since our coronation ceremony…"_

_He bowed his head sadly when he found that he couldn't keep his smile in place anymore._

"_Are things not going well between you and Kurogane sama, Fai kun?" Himawari asked gently._

_Fai blinked at her with his wide blue eyes. "Hmm? What gives you that idea?"_

"_When you mentioned Kurogane sama's name just now, you looked really sad," Rika chimed._

"_If he's being mean to you, Fai kun, I don't care if he is king; I'll punch him right in the nose!" Suzuran declared boldly._

"_Yes!" Chiharu agreed. "And I'll strangle him!"_

"_But Kurogane Ou is scary!" Sumomo cried. "If you do that kind of stuff to him, he'll be really mad!"_

"_We don't care!" Suzuran said. "He's not going to get away with bullying our Fai kun!"_

_Fai gave them a pained smile as he looked around at their determined, indignant faces. "Thank you… you girls are the best friends I could ever ask for. But it's not Kurochan's fault, really. It's just that… I guess the training stresses him out a lot, and that makes him all…grumpy. With all that pressure on him, it's hard for him to be sweet like he used to be."_

_Chii leaned forward to study his face curiously. "Did Kurogane Ou hurt Fai?" she asked._

_Fai tried to smile and tell her that Kurogane hadn't laid a finger on him, but when confronted by her honest, innocent amber eyes he found himself unable to lie. He quickly averted his eyes, feeling his cheeks coloring under the scrutiny of the entertainers._

"_For real?! He hurt you?!" Suzuran demanded in abhorrence. Fai could see her hands curling into fists at her sides._

"_It… it didn't _hurt_," the blond boy mumbled, not looking at any of them. "I just… He looked really upset, so I tried to put my hand on his shoulder and he slapped it away… It was my fault for trying to touch him when he didn't want me to…"_

"_You're _married_!" Suzuran said forcefully. "You have every right to give him comfort whenever he looks like he needs it! That's no excuse for him to slap your hand!"_

_Fai could feel tears filling his eyes. He knew she was right, but at the same time that Kurogane's stress was controlling his actions rather than an actual conscious desire to hurt him. It wasn't fair of him to turn all the entertainers against the dark-haired king by telling them that. Fai sighed shakily. All he wanted was to get this stupid training over with so that he and Kurogane could go back to being how they were before. He jumped when someone took his hand. He looked up into the face of Sakura._

"_Kurogane sama is usually such a kind person; I don't think he's trying to hurt you, Fai san," she said softly. "Have you tried talking to him about it yet?"_

_Fai hurriedly wiped his eyes on his sleeve and shook his head. "No, I… I guess I was afraid that he might start to hate me even more if I did that."_

"_Kurogane sama doesn't hate you," Sakura assured him. "He loves you. If you just let him know that he's hurting you, I'm sure he'll stop right away."_

_Fai considered her words. He couldn't believe that the solution could be something so simple, but at the same time, he could see the wisdom in her suggestion. Perhaps he could give it a shot. He smiled at her._

"_That's a good idea, Sakura chan. I'll try that."_

When the door opened suddenly, Fai started and sat up quickly, once again disturbing Mokona. Kurogane stumbled in, looking irritable and tired. The little blond scooted over to make more room for him as he approached the bed and flopped down on it. Fai watched him as he heaved a sigh and closed his eyes. He could tell that Kurogane had had a bad day, and he desperately wanted to take him into his arms and hold and kiss him until the memories of the day's unpleasantness drifted away. But what if Kurogane snapped at him again? Fai didn't know if he'd be able to take that. Eventually, however, his desire to comfort his husband won him over and he rolled over so that he could reach out to him uncertainly.

"Don't touch me," Kurogane growled, not even bothering to open his eyes.

"Sorry," Fai said meekly. "Kurosama looked like he'd had a bad day… I just wanted to comfort you."

"I don't need it!" he snapped. "Quit treating me like I'm some stupid little kid!"

"But we _are_ kids," the blond pointed out bemusedly. "It's been so long since the last time we cuddled, Kurotan… I just want to hold you for a little—"

"God, do you ever freaking stop talking?!" Kurogane interrupted, clapping his hands over his ears. "I didn't ask your damn opinion! Try to touch me again and I'll kill you!"

Fai clutched his heart, feeling it breaking beneath his fingers. What had happened to make Kurogane so hateful towards him? Was it something Fai had done? Whatever it was, he was deeply sorry for it. He just wanted his Kurogane back, the one who loved him unconditionally.

"… I… I love you," the blond squeaked, trying to control the pain in his voice. "Is it a bad thing that I want to be there for you when you're sad or stressed out?"

Kurogane was silent, as though suddenly realizing what a monster he was being.

"It makes me sad when you treat me like this, Kurowanko," Fai continued in a voice that was scarcely above a whisper. "I just want to be with you… I… I just want you to hold me like you used to and tell me you love me…"

Kurogane lifted his gaze to meet Fai's, studying him in silence with a slight frown as if to make sure he was telling the truth. Then he huffed as he rolled over so that his back was facing Fai and curled up, clutching his stomach.

"Is your tummy hurting again, Kuropin?" he asked softly. Recently Kurogane had developed frequent stomach aches. When Fai had forced him to see the doctor about it, the doctor had said that they were a product of stress and that he should try to take it easy or else it could evolve into something far worse. Naturally, Kurogane had blown him off. Fai had had to accept the prescription on his behalf.

"I'll make you some tea, alright?" he offered, forcing himself to his feet.

"Nooo," Kurogane groaned as Fai headed to their kitchenette. "I hate that stuff."

Fai smiled wryly. "Kuropyon doesn't want to be treated like a kid, but he still whines like one."

"Shut up," the raven-haired boy huffed.

Fai grinned slightly as he added the medicinal tea leaves to the strainer ball and prepared the hot water. Apparently what he had said had made Kurogane feel at least a little guilty. That last exchange seemed more like the Kurogane that he knew and loved. Once he had put the kettle on the stove, he came back to the bed and sat down on it. Hesitantly, he reached out and touched Kurogane's hair, waiting to see if he would be shouted at. This time, Kurogane accepted him. Fai ran his fingers through the taller king's unruly hair gently.

"Kuropipi…What would you say to taking a little vacation?" he asked warily.

Kurogane frowned. "Vacation?"

"Well, the doctor said it might be a good idea for you to take a few days off since this training makes you so stressed out," Fai explained quickly. "Plus I feel like I haven't been able to spend any time with Kurowanwan recently, and I thought it might be fun. You could even pick where we go. I don't really care where it is as long as I'm there with Ouwanko."

Actually, Fai had been sitting on this idea for quite a while, waiting anxiously for an opportune moment to plead his case to Kurogane. With his husband being so angry and unreceptive lately, Fai had been starting to worry that the right time might never come.

"Whatever," Kurogane grunted eventually. "Can't be any worse than this lame-ass training crap. Might be nice to have a break, I guess."

The blond let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He hadn't expected Kurogane to agree with so little persuasion. His heart lightened tremendously, his face breaking into the first true smile he'd worn in months as he threw his arms around the king and nuzzled against him joyfully. Even though they were married now, Kurogane could still feel himself blushing at Fai's grateful kisses.

As Fai's lips touched his skin for the first time in so long, something stirred within the taller king's chest, reminding him just how deeply he loved the sweet little blond. It seemed strange, but Fai's kisses drew him in, almost as if bringing him back from some dark, ugly place that he'd been lost in for a long time and given up hope of ever escaping. Even though he hadn't physically gone anywhere, Kurogane realized now how badly he'd missed Fai, his touch, his warmth, his love. Their snuggles were interrupted by the whistling of the kettle, announcing that the water for Kurogane's medicinal tea was ready.

"I can't wait! This will be so much fun!" Fai sang as he hopped up from the bed to prepare the tea. As soon as he had poured it into a cup and added a dash of lemon juice, he pulled Kurogane close again so that he could hold him while he drank his tea. "I'm tired of having to act like an adult all the time," the blond mumbled. "I just wanna be a kid again."

Kurogane tried to sip his tea in silence as Fai tickled his cheek affectionately but it tasted too gross for him not to say anything. "What the hell is in this stuff anyway? Tastes like piss."

Fai laughed softly. "And how do you know that, Kuropin? Has my bad doggy been drinking out of the toilet again?"

"Shut up! That's disgusting!" Kurogane snapped. "I would never do something so—"

Fai laughed again and silenced him with a kiss. To the dark-haired king's disappointment, Fai pulled away quickly and made a face.

"Yucky! You're right, Kuropyon; that tea does taste gross!" he agreed.

"Told you so," Kurogane grumbled.

"I'm so glad that you're the one who has to drink it and not me!" the little blond chirped.

"You bastard!" Kurogane growled putting his tea down on the bedside table. "Just wait 'til I…"

Fai felt a thrill in his chest, thinking that Kurogane might chase him around the room, threatening his life like he used to. Oh, how he had missed the death threats. But when Kurogane fell silent, Fai looked down at him worriedly to see the other king clutching his stomach again and gritting his teeth in pain, sweat standing out against his forehead.

"Do you want me to get the doctor, Kurosama?" Fai asked fearfully.

"…No…" the dark-haired boy panted.

His trembling fingers clutched Fai's robes so hard that his knuckles turned white. Fai, not knowing how to help his husband, held him loosely, not wanting to aggravate his condition by squeezing him too hard. The blond shook, too, afraid that something might be terribly wrong with Kurogane. He had heard before about people getting so stressed out that they got holes in their stomachs. What if that was what was happening to Kurogane? He decided that he didn't care if the other boy didn't want to see the doctor; he wasn't going to sit here and let him suffer.

"I'm going to get the doctor, Kuropipi," he whispered. "I'll be right back, ok?"

"…No…" Kurogane choked again. "S-stay…"

He shook more violently and held him tighter to keep him from leaving. Fai started when he realized why the other king didn't want him to go. Kurogane was afraid. He had never known Kurogane to be so scared of anything before. It made sense, though, when he thought about it. The other things that Kurogane came up against, evil kings, demons, and the like were things he could defeat with a sword. But when something like this was going on inside of him, it wasn't in his power to defeat it. He had to rely on others, in this case, the doctor, to tell him how to solve the problem. It made him feel powerless and that brought fear.

"Don't be afraid, Kurochan," Fai cooed, stroking his hair soothingly, trying hard to keep his voice calm. "I won't leave you. But if you want the pain to stop, we have to see the doctor. Please. I don't like to see you hurting. Please come with me to see the doctor."

Eventually, he was able to persuade the young warrior to loop his arm around his shoulders so that he could help him to the medical wing.

* * *

Dr. Mihara folded his arms and shook his head in exasperation. "Really, Fai sama, don't you take care of your husband at all?"

Fai blinked at him in confusion. "Eh?"

"Just look at him! He's all bony and he's got eyes like a zombie!" he scolded. "If he's lost his appetite and can't sleep, you should bring him here right away! Don't wait until he's got an alien bursting out of his stomach!"

"Is there something bad in his stomach?!" Fai demanded, looking worried.

"Well, I didn't mean that literally but… you don't know the first thing about being married, do you?" Dr. Mihara said.

Fai fell silent and looked guiltily at the ground. How could he know anything about being married? He'd never been married before. Besides, he was still just a child. But that didn't keep him from feeling like he'd somehow neglected Kurogane.

"Of course you don't know," Dr. Mihara sighed. "You're still just a kid. But I'm feeling generous today, so I'll impart a little of my omnipotent wisdom on you."

Fai looked back up at him, stunned. "Are you married, Dr. Mihara?"

Dr. Mihara looked indignant. "What's with that face? Of course I'm married! Oh, I get it; you're thinking "no way could a suspicious old guy like you ever be married", is that it?"

Fai was silent. Dr. Mihara had pretty much hit the nail on the head.

"Why does everyone have that reaction when they find out that I have a wife?!" he wailed, crocodile tears streaming down his face.

"Sorry!" Fai said quickly. "I've just never seen her or heard you talk about her before! That's why I was surprised!"

"She works here with me," Dr. Mihara sniffled, wiping the fake tears from his eyes. "She's the pharmacist."

"Hmm? You mean Hibiya san?!" the blond gasped.

"You're making that face again," the doctor pouted.

"Are you going to give him your stupid advice or what?" Kurogane interrupted irritably.

"Oh yeah… what was I going to tell you again?" Mihara wondered aloud.

Kurogane rolled his eyes.

"Mm, I remember now. Here's something you have to know about marriage, Fai sama," Mihara began somberly. "Are you ready?"

Fai nodded, listening closely.

"No matter how knowledgeable, no matter how tough, no matter how independent they seem, husbands are probably the most helpless creatures in the world, next to newborns," Dr. Mihara announced dramatically.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Kurogane snarled. "Anyway, in case you haven't noticed, he's _my_ husband, too. And didn't you just say that _you_ were married?"

Mihara chose to ignore him. "If you don't make his meals and sit with him to make sure he eats it, if you don't tuck him in and hold his hand as he falls asleep, if you don't wrap his wounds and kiss them better, he'd probably just sit around in the dark all day wondering what he's supposed to do. Husbands are really helpless that way. Just remember that for the future, alright?"

Kurogane stared at the doctor, his eyes blazing with fury as Fai giggled. "What the fuck?! That was the sappiest, stupidest piece of bullshit I've ever heard!! You may be a complete loser, but I sure as hell am not helpless!! I can take care of myself just fine!!"

Mihara laughed out loud. "Sure, I'm the complete loser, and you're sitting in my office, half-starved, totally exhausted, a hole being eaten into your stomach by your own juices, waiting for me to make you better."

Kurogane ground his teeth, realizing that Mihara was completely right. He had been woefully unsuccessful in taking care of himself and now he was waiting for the doctor to fix his errors for him. When had he become such a disgusting, needy person who was incapable of doing anything for himself? Why did it seem that he was more of a child now, when the fate of two countries were on his shoulders, than he ever had been in his entire life?

Fai smiled as he hugged the fuming dark-haired king and kissed his forehead. "It's ok, Kuropin; I know you're not as helpless as Mihara sensei says you are. Even if you were, I would still love taking care of you."

"Are you gonna do your damn job and tell me how to keep my freaking stomach from being eaten away or are you just going to give us that bullshit advice and kick us out of here?" Kurogane growled.

Mihara smirked. "Well, obviously since you're too immature to handle that tea I gave you, I'll have to come up with something else, won't I?"

"I could fire you in a heartbeat, you bastard," Kurogane reminded him darkly.

"You're going to take respite," Mihara ordered.

Fai and Kurogane stared at him blankly. Mihara sighed. "A trip, vacation, holiday, retreat—"

"Alright! We get it!" Kurogane snapped.

"And no shortcuts, now," Mihara warned. "I won't have you coming back in three days, pretending to be healed. It'll be a nice long one, let's say two weeks, and you'll be going somewhere away from the city."

"Where should we go, then?" Fai asked.

"I believe the royal family has a summer home on the beach in the southern part of the country, correct? You can go there," the doctor suggested. "You'll leave in two days, no exceptions."

Fai looked over at his still sulking husband as the two of them left Dr. Mihara's office and grinned. "Looks like we've got no other choice, huh, Kurowanwan? I guess we'll just have to go on this wonderful beach vacation and have lots of fun, whether we like it or not."

Kurogane huffed and rolled his eyes but couldn't help blushing slightly as he took Fai's hand in his. He was willing to bet that the blond looked absolutely stunning in his swimming trunks.

* * *

Fai looked absolutely stunning in his swimming trunks. Kurogane could actually feel his face reddening as he drank in the smaller king's beauty. The brilliant sunlight dancing on the surface of the water, the gentle breeze that made Fai's golden hair dance, the quiet sound of the waves lapping against the shore and the prospect of spending time with his beloved husband after so long of hardly seeing him made Kurogane's heart pound with anticipation. Fai smiled sweetly at him as Kurogane pulled him close and touched his lips several times to the blond's sun-warmed skin.

"You're so handsome in your swimming trunks, Kurosama," Fai giggled, tracing his husband's collarbone lightly with his fingertip.

"You're not half bad, either," Kurogane admitted with a slight smirk, kissing his neck.

"Oh!" Fai exclaimed, "I just remembered, we can't have fun on the beach until we put on this sunburn potion that Mihara sensei sent with us."

"Tch. I don't need anything from that guy," Kurogane grumbled, his pride still bruised from the events that had taken place at his last checkup.

"Don't be like that, Kurochii," Fai pouted. "Besides, we're on this trip so that we can heal. How are we supposed to do that if we get all burnt up?"

He produced their towels from his beach bag and spread them out on the sand. Kurogane plunked down on his and watched as Fai reached into his bag again and pulled out a round blue bottle of lotion. The little blond gave him a sunny smile.

"Help me put it on?" he requested.

Kurogane smirked again as he squeezed some into his hand and began to massage it into Fai's soft pale skin. Fai closed his eyes and purred happily as he leaned into the dark-haired king's affectionate touch. Kurogane tangled his fingers into Fai's hair, carefully holding it up so that he could apply some potion to the back of his neck and making Fai shiver with pleasure. Once he had finished, he kissed Fai's ear lightly and handed the bottle back to him.

"Kurowanta's turn!" the smaller king sang as he poured a bit of lotion into his own hand.

Kurogane stretched out on his beach towel and allowed Fai's slender fingers to rub the potion all over him. He worked slowly, as if he was enjoying giving the massage as much as Kurogane enjoyed receiving it. Kurogane could feel his tense muscles responding favorably to his husband's touch; they seemed to relax like magic beneath Fai's fingertips. He opened his eyes slowly when Fai finally stopped, disappointed that the moment was over. Fai was looking at the lotion bottle thoughtfully. Then, without any warning, the blond lifted open the back of Kurogane's swimming trunks and squeezed a huge blob of lotion down his pants. Kurogane jumped and whipped around to glare at him, blushing furiously.

"What?" Fai asked innocently, though he clearly had to work hard to conceal his laughter. "We wouldn't want Kuropon's sensitive hiney to burn, would we?"

Kurogane jumped to his feet, his eyes blazing, but he immediately regretted his rash actions as pain shot through his stomach again. He fell to his knees, clutching his middle. The light-haired king's fair features were marred by concern once more as he pulled Kurogane close.

"Maybe it's best if you don't try to move around too much," he suggested quietly, placing a soft kiss on his husband's forehead. "Why don't we just lie in the sun for a while, alright? You can take a nap, if you want. It might help."

Kurogane allowed Fai to hold and kiss him, but he couldn't make himself go to sleep, in spite of his exhaustion.

* * *

Fai returned to his place beside Kurogane on the sand, bringing with him some chilled glasses and freshly squeezed lemonade. He smiled sympathetically at the taller boy as he poured him some.

"Are you feeling any better now, Kurochan?" he asked, pouring his own drink and taking a taste.

"Hn," Kurogane grunted, looking slightly embarrassed as he took a sip of his lemonade.

"And you couldn't sleep at all, huh?" Fai sighed.

"No…"

"Is there still something bothering you?" Fai asked, pulling Kurogane close again and letting him rest his head on his shoulder.

Kurogane was silent. Fai kissed him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Maybe later," Kurogane mumbled, hiding his face in his glass as he took another gulp of lemonade.

The blond looked a little bit hurt, but he knew that talking about feelings was one of Kurogane's weak points and that it was nothing personal.

"Well, how about if we go fishing for now then?" he asked, trying to inject some cheerfulness into his voice. "If we catch anything, maybe we can have one of the servants cook it for dinner!"

Kurogane looked a bit doubtful but Fai looked so excited about the idea. He drained the last of his lemonade. "Fine," he agreed.

"Yay!" the blond cheered. He gulped down his lemonade and smacked his lips in satisfaction before pulling Kurogane to his feet.

* * *

"Why the hell did you suggest fishing if you can't even put the worm on your own damn hook?" Kurogane grumbled, spearing the night-crawler on Fai's fishing hook.

"Sorry," Fai said with an apologetic grin. "It's just so yucky and slimy, though!"

"Hmph," Kurogane puffed, handing over Fai's pole.

"Hyuu! Thank you, Kuropiko!" Fai cheered, kissing him gratefully. He drew back his pole and tossed the line out into the water. Kurogane baited his own hook and tossed it out next to Fai's.

"Do you think the fishies will come if I sing to them?" Fai asked curiously.

"Tch. No, you'd probably end up scaring them off," Kurogane sneered.

"How mean, Kuropuu!" Fai whined. "I'm a good singer!"

The dark-haired king snorted doubtfully.

"I mean it!" the smaller boy insisted. "Here, listen!"

Fai opened his mouth and began to sing in his native language. Kurogane couldn't help being surprised; the soft, sweet sound of Fai's voice sent shivers down his spine. The taller king was mesmerized by the song. He couldn't believe what talent Fai had. To tell the truth, it made him want to pounce on him and kiss him over and over again until his lips were too tired to continue anymore. But if he did that, he reminded himself, he might end up tipping the boat over. He'd do it later. No sooner had Fai finished his song then Kurogane felt a slight tug on his line. His eyes widened.

"Hey… I think I've got something," Kurogane said.

"Yay! It worked! It worked!" Fai chirped. "Ooh! And I've got something, too!"

"No way," the dark-haired king mumbled as he began to reel in his line.

"I'm a little surprised that it worked so well, too, actually," Fai admitted with a grin.

Then he gasped as the fish suddenly began to pull hard against him. Kurogane barely noticed; he was too busy jerking on his line with all his strength. Fai grabbed the edge of the boat, trying to keep himself inside it, but the fish gave a final almighty tug and pulled him right over the edge and into the lake with a splash. He broke the surface again, coughing and sputtering. Once he'd wiped the water out of his eyes, he looked up at Kurogane in surprise. The dark-haired king was holding up both of their fishing poles, Fai's hanging on to Kurogane's by their intertwined lines. Kurogane looked thoroughly unimpressed. Fai burst out laughing.

"Looks like caught each other, huh?" Fai giggled as Kurogane rolled his eyes, set down their fishing poles and reached out his hand to help his husband back into the boat. Once Fai was out of the water, he threw himself at Kurogane and pressed their lips together, still smiling.

"I made a good catch!" he chirped, nuzzling against him.

"G-get off!" Kurogane stammered, his cheeks turning a brilliant pink color. "You're soaking wet and your mouth tastes like gross lake water!"

"What was that, Kuro-fishy? You want another kiss? Pucker up!"

"No! Cut it out!"

* * *

"So, in the end we didn't even catch one stupid fish," Kurogane grumbled sullenly.

"No, but we still had fun, right?" Fai pointed out. "Besides, this fish from the store is really good, too!"

Kurogane sulked as he stared into the fire that he and Fai were snuggled up next to on the beach.

"Aren't you going to eat yours, Kuropin?" Fai asked, his smile being replaced with a look of concern.

"I'm not hungry," he said.

"Won't you just have a little?" the blond requested, holding up a piece of roasted fish on his fork.

"…" Kurogane turned away in refusal.

"Is your tummy hurting again?" Fai asked quietly.

Kurogane continued to stare silently at the yellow flames, acting as if he hadn't heard Fai's question. The blond sighed and finished off his fish then flopped down on his back in the sand. After a moment, he tugged on the back of Kurogane's shirt, signaling that he wanted him to lie down beside him. Kurogane obeyed with some reluctance. Fai laced their fingers together as they looked up at the night sky.

"The stars are really pretty out here, aren't they?" Fai noted. "It's harder to see them in the city because of all the lights, but there's no problem now."

Kurogane still said nothing. Fai looked over at him with a slight frown on his beautiful face.

"Why don't you tell me what's bothering you, Kurowanta?" Fai asked. "You know how it makes us feel better to talk to each other when we have a problem, right?"

"…You'll probably just laugh," Kurogane mumbled, turning his head away so that Fai wouldn't see him blushing.

The smaller boy rolled over so that he could hug him and stroke his hair. "I would never laugh at something like this, Kurochuu."

Kurogane hesitated, a pained expression on his face. "…I don't think I'm cut out to be king," he admitted finally.

Fai was quiet, waiting for him to continue.

"I mean, when my father was doing it, I never really paid attention to all the stuff he had to deal with because I figured I had a really long time until I would have to do it myself. He just made it seem so easy, like there was nothing to it. But now that we're doing this training, I see that it's not easy at all…"

"But we're still just children," Fai reminded him soothingly. "Of course it's going to be harder."

"He was doing it all by himself, though!" Kurogane said, his voice breaking slightly. "We're doing it together and I _still_ can't handle it! I mean, I thought I was strong enough to do anything, but I'm really… And now that I know how hard he must have had to work to keep the kingdom running as smooth as it is, I feel like I'd better grow up real fast and learn everything so I don't screw it up… One wrong move and I could totally ruin everything he worked so hard for…"

"That's what we have advisors for, Kurokuro," Fai said. "All we have to do is try our best and ask our advisors before we make any big decisions. They know what they're doing. We don't have to grow up right away just because some bad things happened and we had to take the throne when we're still kids."

Kurogane was silent as he considered Fai's words. Fai smiled at him.

"Besides, your mother and father are still watching over us, even though they're gone. And even if something happens, they'll know that you're doing everything in your power to make sure you don't disappoint them. I'm sure if they were here now, they'd tell you not to give up because they have faith in you." The blond kissed him. "I know I do."

"Hn," Kurogane grunted eventually.

The next time Fai looked down at Kurogane, he was fast asleep in his arms.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, this turned out to be longer than I expected… I hope that ending wasn't too cheesy. And I hope it followed the prompt well enough. I always have a harder time keeping Kurogane IC when he has to make some sort of speech, so I hope I didn't mess him up ; Looks like I'm just as uncertain about this as I always am.


	33. Universal

**A/N: **Hey everyone! Sorry about that unsatisfactory last chapter, maybe this will help ease the disappointment a little. This story seems a little different from what I usually do, somehow… Maybe I'm just imagining it. Either way, I hope you all like it! Oh, one quick thing before I start: the Japanese word for shiny/sparkly is "pika pika" (Yes, like Pikachu. "Chu" is the noise a mouse makes in Japanese, so its name means something like "sparkle squeak". Anyway, that's not important now). Given Kurogane's species in this chapter, I think that "Kuropiko" is the most fitting of Fai's nicknames for him so that's the one I'll be using the most. Just in case you're wondering why I suddenly seem to favor that one, now you know. Enjoy!

* * *

**Universal**

When Fai saw the moving van pull in to the house next door, he bounded over to the window and leaned eagerly against the glass. He was so excited that he couldn't even sit still as he waited for the passengers to disembark. Ever since Chitose Hibiya, his mother's friend who lived across the street from them, who also happened to be his family's landlady, as well as the landlady for his new neighbors, had told him about them, the little blond had been dying to meet them.

The parents were both starmakers, and very highly acclaimed ones at that. It was said that the stars that they produced as a team had caused more people to fall in love than those of any other starmaker. And their wishing stars were second-rate only to the great Yuuko's, whose wishing stars were the best in the whole universe. Hibiya had also said that they had a son, and if the landlady's word was anything to go on, the boy was absolutely…

The door of the moving van flew open forcefully all of a sudden, and a young boy jumped out. When Fai saw his face, he actually let out a little squeal of delight. _Adorable!!_ The blond fell back on the couch and squirmed like an overturned turtle for a moment in his glee before hopping back up to peer out the window again. His new neighbor boy was every bit as captivating as Hibiya had said; tall, with tan skin, spiky black hair, and gorgeous ruby-colored eyes. But those weren't the things that stood out most about him. It wasn't as easy to see in the broad daylight, but the boy's whole body was glowing. Even though Hibiya had told him that the youngest member of the neighbor's family was actually a star, Fai hadn't actually grasped that fully until he'd seen with his own eyes.

Fai watched as the boy's father stepped out of the van also and stood beside his son, surveying their new house. The boy seemed to be struggling to conceal his astonishment at the sheer size of his new home. His father laughed when he glanced over at his son's face and saw the conflict taking place there and flicked the boy's ear playfully. The son whipped around to face his father, his face blazing with an anger disproportionate to the crime and shouted something at him as he clapped a hand over his stinging ear.

Whatever he said just made the father laugh again. Then the mother, who had exited the van from the other side, appeared, joining her two boys. She was tall and slender, with extremely long dark hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. Fai watched as she snuggled up to her husband affectionately. The two of them exchanged words that Fai couldn't hear before sharing a kiss. Their son rolled his eyes and turned his back on them impatiently.

Fai had had enough of just watching them; he was ready to meet them for himself. He dashed into the kitchen to retrieve the plate of chocolate cupcakes he had made the previous night. The blond figured that the first step to making a positive impression on them was to bring them a "welcome to the neighborhood" gift. He hoped the boy would like them; he sure was cute. Heart fluttering anxiously, Fai skipped outside with his peace offering.

"Hello!" he called, hurrying up to them.

They looked momentarily surprised to see him there, greeting them only five minutes after their arrival, but then they smiled politely (or at least the parents did. Their son just continued to stare openly).

"Oh, hello," the mother said kindly. "Are you our new neighbor?"

"Yes, ma'am," Fai said, smiling brightly and giving a slight bow. "My name is Fai D. Flourite. You can just call me Fai, though."

"It's nice to meet you, Fai kun," the father replied, returning the smile. "We're the Youous, and this is our son, Kurogane."

"Kurogane, huh?" Fai repeated with a grin. "That's kind of long, I don't know if I can remember that… How about if I call you Kuropiko instead?"

The light that Kurogane was giving off turned slightly pink in his embarrassment and indignity at being given such a cutesy name. "That's just as long as 'Kurogane', idiot!"

"Now, now, Kurogane," his mother scolded with a slight frown. "Be polite! He's just trying to have a little fun with you!"

"What's fun about giving someone a stupid girly name like that?!" Kurogane demanded.

Fai laughed, making the protostar blush more deeply. "You're so funny, Kuropin! Do you always get so worked up when people tease you?"

"Shut up!" Kurogane snapped. "Anyway, I bet I'm older than you! If you don't quit ticking me off, I'll beat you up!"

"Kurogane!" his mother gasped, appalled at her son's manners.

"How old are you, Kuropiko?" Fai asked, his grin never wavering.

"990,000," Kurogane answered smugly.

The blond's grin brightened. "I'm 2,000,000."

Kurogane gaped at him, looking shocked and disbelieving. He looked like he wanted to say something, but Fai returned his attention to the two starmakers.

"I made you some cupcakes to welcome you to the neighborhood," he chirped. "Here you go."

Fai handed the plate of cupcakes to Mrs. Youou, but not before removing one. She looked at him questioningly as she accepted the remaining desserts from him.

"I made this one especially for Kuropiko," he explained.

Kurogane's light turned pink again as he blushed and folded his arms stubbornly. "I don't like sweets."

"But I added lots of hydrogen!" Fai said, trying to tempt him. "Stars need that stuff, right?"

"Well, even if it has hydrogen in it, I'm still not eating it if it's swe—mmph!!"

Kurogane's refusal was cut off as Fai tore a piece from the cupcake and stuffed it into the protostar's mouth. He choked on it slightly in his surprise, but managed to swallow it without too much difficulty.

"Yummy?" Fai asked sweetly.

"WHAT THE HECK IS YOUR PROBLEM, MORON?! IF I SAY I DON'T LIKE SWEET CRAP, DON'T JUST FEED IT TO ME ANY—hmmph!"

Fai giggled as he silenced the raging protostar by stuffing the rest of the cupcake into his mouth. While Kurogane was still trying to choke down the cupcake that had been shoved into his mouth, the blond looked up at Mr. and Mrs. Youou again.

"By the way, is it true that you're the famous starmaking Youou konbi?" Fai asked politely, as if he didn't know the answer already.

"YOU WANT ME TO KILL YOU, YOU JERK?!" Kurogane shouted, his hands curling into fists. "YOU NEARLY FREAKING CHOKED ME!!"

"Yep, that's us!" Mr. Youou confirmed proudly, ignoring his irate son. "You've heard of us, have you?"

"HEY!! DON'T IGNORE ME!!" Kurogane demanded.

"Of course! Your stars are legendary!" Fai gushed. "They say no other maker has ever created stars that were so successful at making people fall in love, and that you're one of the best wishing star makers the universe has ever seen! You two are my heroes!"

"Well, we try our best," Kurogane's mother replied, her cheeks pink from the flattery.

"Are you interested in starmaking, Fai kun?" Mr. Youou asked.

"A little," Fai admitted. "My parents are stellar landscapers, so they work with starmakers and they've told me a little bit about the kind of work you guys do."

"Stellar landscapers, huh? Well, Fai kun, if it's starmaking your interested in, why don't you come over some time and watch us work?" Kurogane's father suggested. "You might be able to learn a thing or two."

"Are you serious?!" Kurogane groused. "You're gonna invite him over after he just about killed me with that sweet crap?!"

"What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger," Mr. Youou pointed out with a smirk. "Isn't that what you're always telling me?"

"That's different!" the protostar snapped. "Choking down a stupid cake isn't gonna make anyone stronger!"

"Anyway, Fai kun is a lot more pleasant than you, Kurogane," he father laughed. "Maybe if we have him over enough, he can teach you some manners!"

"I'd be glad to give Kurochuu some pointers!" Fai agreed brightly.

"You're the last person I want any 'pointers' from, idiot!" Kurogane growled, his light turning a little pink again. "And why the heck do you have to keep calling me weirder and weirder names?!"

"Cute names for a cute star," the blond sang, fluttering his eyelashes flirtatiously.

Kurogane's light reddened even more as his embarrassment increased.

The protostar's mother looked between the two of them and smiled secretively.

"Anyway, we've got a lot of unpacking to do, but you're welcome to stick around and play with Kurogane if you like," Mr. Youou offered with a grin. "I'm sure our grumpy little protostar would be more useful to you playing than to us unpacking."

"DON'T VOLUNTEER ME WITHOUT EVEN ASKING ME IF THAT'S WHAT I WANT!!" Kurogane raged, his light redder than ever. His father just laughed at him as he turned away to help the movers start unloading the truck. Kurogane gritted his teeth and swallowed hard as he turned back around to face Fai.

"Well, you're turning pretty red," Fai said sweetly, reaching out to softly touch Kurogane's blushing cheek. "Could this be love at first sight, I wonder?"

"D-don't be an idiot!" Kurogane snapped. "We're both boys!"

The blond flashed him a stunning smile. "That doesn't bother me."

"Well, it bothers me! Now go away before I kick you in the shin!" the protostar warned.

Fai's smile didn't fade as he watched the other boy stomp away, red as a cherry. He was definitely adorable, not only his looks, but his temperament, too. "I wonder…" Fai muttered thoughtfully to himself.

* * *

_**-50,000 years later-**_

"Twinkle, twinkle, Kuro-star! No one's as cute as you are!"

"Shut up! I'm not cute!"

"Granting wishes in the sky! Kuropiko is my type of guy!"

"Shut up, I said!!"

"Twinkle, twinkle, Kuro-star! No one's as cute as you are!"

Kurogane glared at him. "Are you finished yet?!"

"Yep!" Fai chirped, stretching his arms luxuriously above his head. "Did you like my song, Kuropiko?"

"No! Don't you have anything better to do than bother me all the time?!" Kurogane growled.

"Hmm? But you're the one who knocked on my door and asked me to play," Fai reminded him, smiling brightly.

Kurogane turned around, trying to hide his embarrassment, but his shining aura turned bright red, giving him away horribly. "Only because my mom made me."

Fai giggled. "Your light is turning red, Kuropyon!"

"Shut up!" the protostar roared. "You're imagining stuff again!"

"If you say so, Kuropiko," Fai smirked. "You sure are defensive, aren't you?"

"Hmph," Kurogane puffed, folding his arms. "So what are we gonna do now?"

"You mean now that I beat you at three games of tag?" the smaller boy said with a grin.

"Tch. You only won because I let you," the protostar grumbled.

"Oh, Kuropiko's just being the gentleman again today, hmm?" Fai giggled.

"Only because I know you'd whine if you lost all the time!" he retorted.

Fai laughed. "You know me so well, Kurotan!"

"Course I do," Kurogane huffed. "We've been neighbors for 50,000 years. Plus you come over and bother me pretty much every day."

"Hey, lots of times Kuropin is the one that comes over to _my_ house," the blond pouted.

"I told you, only because my mom makes me!" Kurogane reminded him sharply. His light started to redden again.

"But I can't believe it's been 50,000 years already," Fai sighed, ignoring him.

"_I_ can," the protostar grumbled.

"And I can't believe how much Kuropiko has grown since he moved in next door to me!" he marveled. "You were 990,000 when you moved in and you were only this tall!"

"Yeah, well… I've been taking my vitamins, so of course I've grown," Kurogane said. "But _you_ haven't grown at all. You're like twice my age and you're still a shrimp. How old are you again?"

"Well, I'm 2,050,000 now. But we grow slower and live longer than stars," Fai reminded him.

Kurogane didn't know what to say to that statement, so he said nothing.

"Hmm… How about if we go pick plasma berries?" Fai suggested. "I'll use them to make some of that bread you like so much."

"Fine," Kurogane agreed.

Fai took his neighbor's hand as they headed toward the plasma berry bushes that were buried in the woods behind their houses. The protostar's light, which was reddening again at the contact between them, became more noticeable as they left the daylight behind and ventured into the shade of the forest.

"Are your mom and dad working today?" the blond asked.

"Tch. They're pretty much always working," Kurogane groused. "Seems like they've always got a bunch of orders to get done."

"I guess they would be busy, huh?" Fai agreed. "They _are_ the most famous starmakers in the universe, after all. Aside from Yuuko san, anyway. It makes sense that everyone would want their stars... I like the one I've got."

He squeezed Kurogane's hand affectionately, making the protostar's glow redden further.

"Don't be a moron! I don't belong to you!" he spat, though he didn't pull his hand away. "I don't belong to anyone!"

"Hmm? You mean you weren't a commission?" Fai asked, looking mildly surprised.

"No!" Kurogane snapped, as if being asked that was highly insulting. Fai supposed it might have been, just a little.

"Sorry, Kurosama," he said lightly. "I didn't mean anything by it."

"Hmph," Kurogane puffed.

Fai stopped, letting go of the other boy's hand and crouching down to examine something on the ground. "Ah, I think I found the plasma berries."

Kurogane crouched down next to him as Fai plucked one of the marble-sized purple fruits. "Open up, Kuropiko!"

Kurogane tried to control the color of his shining aura as he opened his mouth and let Fai pop the berry inside. He did a fair job until he noticed the way Fai's fingers lingered hopefully at his lips. The young protostar burned red again.

"How do you feel, Kuropipi?" Fai asked, grinning at the response his teasing, flirtatious touches had drawn.

Kurogane frowned at him. "What's that supposed to mean? I feel fine."

"That's good," Fai grinned. "I wasn't quite sure if they were plasma berries, so I figured I should have you taste it first. I'm glad they didn't turn out to be poisonous!"

"WHAT THE HELL?! YOU ASSHOLE!! YOU COULD'VE KILLED ME!!" Kurogane yelled. He tackled Fai, knocking him onto his back. The blond smiled mischievously up at him and reached up to fiddle with the collar of the protostar's shirt.

"Oh, no! The puppy is angry!" he breathed. "I hope he doesn't bite me!"

Kurogane's glow went scarlet as Fai ran his hands lightly up the legs that straddled him and kept him pinned to the ground. Desperate not to let Fai beat him like that, he flicked him between the eyes.

"Ouchy!" Fai whined, clapping a hand to his forehead. "That was mean, Kurowanwan!"

"Oh, shut up," the protostar grumbled, hurriedly rolling off of him before Fai could mess with him any more. "I hardly touched you. And you deserved it for the berry thing."

"I was just kidding about that," Fai said lightly. "Of course I knew that they were plasma berries! I would never try to hurt Kuropiko like that!"

There was a brief silence between them before the smaller boy spoke again, though he did so quietly, half-hoping that maybe Kurogane wouldn't hear him. "Especially not since I'm hoping you might grant my wish some day."

"Huh?" the protostar said.

Fai smiled. "Nothing, Kuroron."

"Hmph," Kurogane grunted again sourly as he began to pluck berries alongside his neighbor boy. "Anyway…what about your parents? I hardly ever see them. They must be pretty busy, too."

"Well, it's not so much that they have a lot of work, it just takes a lot of time and planning," Fai replied.

"What do they do again?" Kurogane asked.

"They're stellar landscapers," the blond said.

"You mean they're the guys who make constellations and stuff?"

"Yeah… I guess they've made a lot of the major ones," Fai recalled. "The big dipper, the little dipper, Scorpio, Taurus, Orion, Signet…"

"So they're pretty famous, too, then, right?" the protostar pointed out.

"Hmm, I guess they are, aren't they?" Fai agreed. "I don't know if they're as famous as your parents, though. After all, it's the stars themselves that grant wishes and make people fall in love; not the constellations… I wonder if your parents ever work with mine. Have they ever mentioned it?"

"How should I know? They don't really talk to me about their jobs," Kurogane said. "And why are you always asking me questions about my parents?"

Fai blinked at him with round blue eyes that sparkled enchantingly in the dim forest light and the glow given off by the young protostar and Kurogane felt his breath catching slightly in his chest in spite of himself. "Eh? You mean I've never told you?"

"Told me what?" Kurogane asked, looking carefully at the ground, hoping that his heart wouldn't pound so loudly if he didn't look at Fai.

"I want to become a starmaker when I grow up!" the blond chirped.

Kurogane stopped picking berries and stared at him. "For real?" he asked.

"Yep! …Hmm?" Fai leaned closer to him, studying the protostar's face, grinning. "Why does _that_ make you blush, Kuropiko?"

"I'M NOT BLUSHING!!" Kurogane snapped, his blush deepening. "IT'S THE ELEMENTS IN THIS DAMN FOREST!! THEY DO WEIRD CRAP TO MY LIGHT!!"

"Oh, I get it!" Fai sang, waving aside Kurogane's bogus explanation. "You're happy, because if I become a starmaker I'll still get to see you any time I want, even after you've joined the other stars in the night sky!"

"Like hell I am!" the protostar scoffed. "I'm pissed off, that's what I am! Here I was thinking I'd be rid of you in just 40,000 more years and now you're telling me I'll still have to see you all the time!"

"Ah, so you're just angry again, huh?" the blond asked with a knowing smile. "That's why you got all red?"

"And anyway, I bet you don't even know the first thing about starmaking!" Kurogane continued haughtily. "Now if you talked to my parents and watched them work a couple times, then maybe you might have a chance."

Fai blinked at him again, briefly stunned, before his smile reappeared wider than ever. "Are you offering to ask your parents if I could job shadow them so I can become a starmaker?!" he asked excitedly.

"I... H-hold on! I never said that!" Kurogane sputtered, his light a stunning shade of crimson now. "Th-that's not what I meant!"

Actually that was exactly what he meant, and they both knew it. Fai giggled and threw his arms around the flushed protostar and nuzzled his cheek against his glowing chest.

"Thank you, Kuropiko," Fai whispered. "You're sweet."

* * *

Fai took a deep breath to compose himself as he stood on Kurogane's doorstep. The protostar had been able to talk to his parents and set up a time for Fai to come in and watch them make some stars. Since they began their work fairly early in the morning, they had requested that Fai come over at five AM. The blond knew that Kurogane's parents were very nice people, but it didn't stop him from being just a little nervous. But if he didn't knock now, he'd be late for their appointment. Fai took another deep breath and tapped lightly on the door. It was Kurogane's mother who answered it. She greeted him with a brilliantly warm smile.

"Good morning, Fai kun!" she said kindly. "Come on in; we're just about ready to get started."

"Good morning, Youou san," Fai replied, removing his shoes at the door. "Thank you so much for agreeing to let me shadow you! I really appreciate it!"

"It's my pleasure, especially since you're such a good friend to Kurogane," she assured him. "I can't imagine how much harder our jobs would be if it wasn't for you!"

Fai was puzzled. "Hmm? What do you mean?"

"Well, Kurogane tends to get quite restless when he's bored," the starmaker explained. "I'm afraid he'd be bothering us for things to do all day if he didn't have you to play with!"

"Yes, that sounds like Kuropiko, alright," Fai agreed, grinning at the thought.

"I'll show you our workshop," she offered. "Kurogane's father had to go out and get some more supplies before we can get started, but I made some fresh hydrogen muffins. We can have those while we're waiting for him, if you'd like."

"That sounds great!" the blond said.

"Good! Well, this is where we make the stars," she said as she led him into a spacious room filled with odd-looking tools. "You can have a look around while I go get the muffins out of the oven."

"Ok."

Kurogane's mother vanished into the hallway, leaving Fai to explore. The first thing that caught his eye was the three tall silver barrels that sat in the corner. He wandered over to them and peered inside curiously. They were full of a glittering, luminous powder so fine that it seemed to be on the verge of being a liquid. _This must be the stardust_, he thought. He really wanted to stick his hand in it and see what it felt like, but wasn't sure if that would taint it somehow so he decided against it.

He had just picked up a heavy iron mold that was used for shaping the star cores when a quiet rustling sound caught his attention. Fai looked around. It seemed to be coming from a room on his right, whose door was just slightly ajar. He could see into the room enough to know that it was dark inside, but there was a gentle glow emanating from within. The blond felt drawn to it somehow. Without even pausing to think that it was rude to wander around in someone else's house, Fai tiptoed closer and peeked in.

It was a bedroom, and whoever it belonged to was still under the covers. With the glow that person was giving off, Fai knew instantly who it was. He approached the bed silently, his heart pounding not-so-silently, as Kurogane stirred again slightly. The protostar's glow was dimmed in sleep, but he was still absolutely stunning, especially in the partial darkness. Fai was frozen at his bedside. The protostar was breathtakingly handsome, his face smooth and peaceful without his characteristic scowl. Fai wanted to reach out and touch his cheek, or run his fingers through his spiky black hair, or… The blond boy felt his face flushing just a little at the thought of kissing his lips.

"Isn't he precious when he's asleep?" a female voice whispered from behind him.

Fai started violently at the unexpected visitor's interruption and whirled around. There was Kurogane's mother behind him, smiling softly and, thankfully, not looking the least bit angry that Fai had wandered into her son's room. Still, he felt a little guilty at being caught there.

"I'm sorry," he whispered back, flashing her an apologetic smile. "The door was open and I could see his glow coming from inside, so I just kind of…"

She ushered him back out into the workshop and closed her son's door quietly so that they wouldn't wake him.

"It's ok, Fai kun," Kurogane's mother reassured him with a smile. "No harm done. Besides, even though it may not seem like it, Kurogane really likes you a lot."

"I'm glad," the blond grinned. "It's hard to tell since he's so grumpy all the time."

Kurogane's mother picked up the plate of muffins from the counter behind her and offered the boy one. He accepted it gratefully.

"…Can I ask you a question, Youou san?" Fai asked eventually.

"Of course," she said.

"How did you come to have a star for a son?"

"Ah," Kurogane's mother said with a smile. "That is a good question. Well, when Kurogane's father and I got married, we wanted a child very badly. But when we went to the doctor, he said that my body was too weak to handle childbirth and that we should just try to adopt instead. But then my husband came up with a brilliant idea; since we're starmakers, why don't we create a star and raise him like a regular child? That way, he'll still be a product of our love, and working on him would bring us closer together, the way having a child the natural way would have. It took much longer and was a lot more work, but after many, many years we were finally able to finish our beloved son."

"Wow, that must've been pretty tough, huh?" Fai sighed. "I mean, he must have taken much longer to make than even a regular star, right?"

"Oh yes," Mrs. Youou agreed. "Most stars aren't advanced enough to function like normal people. I mean, the well-made ones do have hints of personality and are capable of basic speech but basically, they're nothing in comparison to a normal child. Since we wanted Kurogane to be much more advanced than the average star, we had to put much more effort into making him."

Fai amused himself for a moment, imagining Mrs. Youou pressing a Kurogane-shaped cookie cutter into some rolled-out dough, as if he were a sugar cookie or something.

"Did you have to use different ingredients for Kuropiko than you do for your other stars?"

"A few," Kurogane's mother admitted. "The main difference was the amount of love. We made our Kurogane with all the love in our hearts."

Fai fought the urge to giggle. _Aw, Kurochan was made with extra love! I'll have to tease him about that later! _

"Considering all the love we put into him, I can't imagine why he turned out to be such a sour child," she sighed.

The blond didn't bother restraining his laughter at that comment. "I think that's part of Kurosama's charm!" he said. "It's cute when he uses grumpiness to hide how shy and sweet he is!"

"I'm glad someone besides us feels that way," she sighed. "Most people are a little intimidated by him. But his father and I think he was well worth the time and effort we put into him."

"Me too," Fai said softly.

Kurogane's mother smiled warmly at him. "You have a wish that you need granted, don't you Fai kun?"

"Yes," the boy admitted.

"Is it one that Kurogane can grant?"

"Hmm… I have a feeling… Kuropiko might be the only one who can."

She ruffled his hair affectionately. "I'm sure he'll do everything in his power to see that it comes true, then."

Fai smiled wistfully up at her. "I hope you're right."

* * *

_**-39,999 years later-**_

_He couldn't breathe. He was sore and tired and hungry and afraid to move. Someone was in his house, and he didn't recognize their voices. The boy pushed his discomfort aside and tried to curl up even tighter, willing himself to become invisible, though he couldn't control his shaking. He hugged himself; if he didn't stop shaking, they would surely find him. The boy wasn't sure who "they" were, but they were strangers and they were wandering through his house, calling his name and the name of his twin. _

_Without thinking, he glanced in the direction of his twin brother who was hiding under the bed beside him but he quickly forced himself to look away. The body was starting to smell. What if the strangers smelled it and found where he was hiding? What would they do to him? Would they kill him? Would they put him in an orphanage? He had heard something from some kids at school about the people who came looking for children with no parents and the terrible things that happened to those children. That was why, two days after he and his brother had been abandoned, the two of them had gone into around-the-clock hiding._

_He squeezed his eyes shut, blocking out the darkness and the sight of his brother on the floor next to him, tears slipping silently from beneath his closed eyelids. He wished his parents were here; they would know what to do. But the boy had the overpowering feeling that he wouldn't be seeing them again. After all, it had been three weeks since the two of them had gone off to work and not come home._

_The strangers were getting closer to his hiding spot. He felt sick with terror and despair. He was tired of this feeling, of being hungry, of the darkness. Perhaps whatever plans these strangers had for him weren't as agonizing as what he was enduring now. Perhaps what he had heard at school was wrong and if he went with them, things might get better. Maybe they would help him. _

_Before he could make up his mind about whether to let them find him or not, the door to his bedroom burst open and the strangers flooded in, still calling his name as they searched for him and his brother. They smelled the body; he could tell because he could hear them choking and reeling back in shock and disgust. Someone lifted the blinds and opened the window, allowing a brilliant light to fill the room. The sudden burst of light burned the boy's eyes and caused him to make a small cry of pain. _

_They must have heard him because seconds later someone was on their hands and knees, looking under the bed. It was a young woman with extremely long blond hair and innocent amber eyes. When she saw the body, she whimpered and backed away. The boy felt his chest being filled with hope. That woman who had just looked under the bed at him didn't look evil; frankly, she had looked downright harmless. Maybe they really did just want to help him. _

_Another person looked under the bed, covering his mouth and nose to shield them from the stink of the decaying body. This person was a young man with short black hair and kind brown eyes, though they were currently narrowed in distaste at his find. The man jumped when he noticed the boy looking fearfully at him._

"_I found him!" he called to the others. His companions sounded pleased and relieved to hear this. The man reached out to him._

"_It's alright, I won't hurt you," he said gently. "Come on out."_

_The boy hesitantly accepted his hand and allowed himself to be pulled out from under the bed. His rescuer transferred him to the arms of the young blond woman who hugged him comfortingly_.

"_Which one are you?" the man asked._

"_F-Fai," the boy whimpered._

"_What happened to Yuui kun?"_

_Fai looked down at the ground sadly, his eyes filling with tears again. "…H-he didn't wake up…"_

_The man looked as though he understood how Fai felt. Then he smiled slightly. "Well, my name is Hideki, and this is my wife, Elda. How would you like to come and stay with us for a little while?"_

_Fai was silent for a moment as he contemplated this. "Ok," he answered finally._

Fai opened his eyes when he felt someone shaking him slightly.

"Wake up!" Kurogane whispered. The blond blinked at him, still a bit disoriented and shaken up by his dream, the unpleasant reminder of his past. Kurogane, who was staying the night at his house that evening, helped him sit up, and Fai could see from the gentle glow of his body a slightly concerned expression on his face.

"What's the matter, Kuropiko?" he asked.

"Looked like you were having a bad dream or something," Kurogane said, now looking a bit uncomfortable. "You were rolling all over the place and shaking real bad."

"Sorry," Fai said with an apologetic smile. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"Nah, I couldn't sleep anyway," he mumbled, looking down at the ground.

The blond rubbed his eyes and hugged himself, still trembling just a little.

"You wanna go out to the tree house?" he asked.

"…Ok," Kurogane agreed.

Fai grabbed one of his blankets and took the protostar's luminous hand. Kurogane scratched the back of his head nervously and led them out to the tree house in Fai's backyard. The two of them climbed up the ladder and hoisted themselves up into the enclosure in the branches. Fai wanted desperately to climb into Kurogane's lap and wrap the blanket around both of them, but something held him back. He sighed and pulled the blanket around his own shoulders. Kurogane sat down next to him, but not too close. When Fai's adoptive father had built this tree house, he had installed a skylight so that the artistry of the night sky could still be appreciated from inside.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Fai sighed, snuggling up to the protostar beside him.

"Hn," Kurogane grunted.

"And one of those is mine," the smaller boy said proudly. "I finally got enough experience watching Kurotan's mother and father work that they let me make one on my own."

"What are you talking about?" Kurogane snorted. "You guys had to throw that one you made away because it crumbled as soon as it came out of the kiln."

"How mean, Kuropiko! I worked really hard on that star!" Fai pouted. "Besides it was my first try."

Kurogane rolled his eyes.

"But Kuromyuu will be up there next year," the blond breathed, laying his head on the other boy's shoulder. "And I still have a long time before I can become a real starmaker…"

"20,000 years isn't that long," Kurogane said.

"I know, but… I won't get to see Kuropiko as often as I do now," Fai pointed out. "Without you, I'll be really lonely… again."

The protostar frowned at him questioningly, but Fai didn't offer any more information.

"But once I'm up there, I can grant that wish, right?" Kurogane said in an off-hand sort of way.

The blond looked up at him in mild surprise.

"What's that stupid look for?" Kurogane grumbled. "You're always saying it, right? You've got some wish that you want me to grant, but you won't tell me what it is until I'm up there."

"Actually, I was surprised that you were trying to cheer me up like that," Fai told him with a small smile. "It's cute."

Kurogane's shining aura flushed. "Personally, I think this whole 'wishing on a star' business is pretty stupid. If you want something, you should work for it and grant your own wish. It's not rewarding if everything you want is just handed to you on a freaking silver platter."

Fai laughed softly. "That's pretty funny, coming from a wishing star."

"Yeah, well… it's true," Kurogane insisted.

"But my wish is different," the blond assured him.

"Oh yeah?" Kurogane asked. "How?"

Fai smiled secretively at him. "You'll just have to wait, Kuropiko. It's no good revealing my wish too soon."

"Hmph!" Kurogane grunted irritably. "Fine! See if I care!"

"You're mad!" Fai laughed. "You're mad that I won't tell you my wish right now!"

"I'm not mad! I just said I didn't care, didn't I?!" Kurogane retaliated. "And why the hell do you keep on scooting closer to me?!"

Fai's smile faded to something small and sad. "Well, actually… hmm, I guess I'm a little scared of the dark. But Kuropiko shines nice and bright so I'm not so afraid when I'm with you… I'll stop, though, if you don't like it."

Kurogane's glow turned bright red, but he didn't press the matter. In spite of whatever he said to Fai normally, he didn't want to deter him. Fai smiled and snuggled his cheek against the protostar's luminescent arm.

"I'm going to miss you so much when you're gone, Kuropipi," he sighed, closing his eyes.

"You can still visit me when my parents do until you become a real starmaker," Kurogane mumbled.

"Yes, but… I'll miss this, too," Fai said. "Doing this kind of thing with you all the time."

Kurogane was silent until Fai looked up at him with sad, glimmering eyes. "But no matter how much I say that, it won't help, right? I can't keep Kurochan from going into the night sky with all the other stars. It's where you belong."

Kurogane's eyebrows knitted together in a frown. _Even if it's where I belong, it's not where I want to be._

* * *

_**-15,001 years later-**_

"Kuropiko!" Fai cheered, pouncing on the now fully-fledged wishing star.

"Ouch! Get off!" Kurogane growled.

"Sorry, did I hurt you?" Fai panted as he sat up, though his smile was still bright enough to rival even Kurogane's glow. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!"

"It's only been 100 years," Kurogane mumbled, his light gaining a tinge of pink.

"I know, but it seems like so much longer…" Fai sighed. "I've been super busy lately."

"Are my parents here?" Kurogane asked, looking around for them. "I don't see them anywhere…"

"That's why I've been so busy, Kurochii!" the blond chirped excitedly. "I'm a real starmaker now! I don't have to wait until your mother and father have time before I can visit you anymore! Isn't that great?!"

Kurogane narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "So it was you, then?"

"Hmm?" Fai said. "What do you mean?"

"Are you the one who made that damn white dwarf and sent it up here by me?!" he demanded.

"Oh, you mean Mokona?" Fai giggled. "Yes, that was me. Isn't she cute?"

"Like hell she is!" Kurogane snapped. "That damn manjuu star won't leave me alone; always jumping around like she thinks she's a freaking shooting star and yapping mindlessly like some screwed up dog!"

"Has she learned any new words?" Fai asked with a smile. "When I sent her off, all she could say was 'puu'."

"No, that's still all she says," the wishing star snarled. "I want to kick her, but I'm afraid she'll collapse and turn into a freaking black hole!"

Fai laughed again, sending goosebumps down Kurogane's spine. 100 years may not have been that long of a time for them not to see each other, but hearing Fai's laughter still had this effect on him. "Oh, come on now, Kuropiko; I wouldn't make my first star so flimsy as to collapse after a few kicks!"

"How about a million?" Kurogane grumbled. Fai laughed again.

"Besides, I thought you might appreciate me sending her to you," he said with a soft smile. "That way, she could be here with you, even when I couldn't."

Kurogane's glow reddened a little, but he didn't say anything. The two sat in silence for a moment before Fai spoke again.

"So how is star life treating you?" he asked. "Any better than last time I was here?"

"Tch! No! I have to hear the same stupid wishes over and over again!" Kurogane spat. "Crap like 'please let him fall in love with me' or 'please let me win the lottery' or 'please let me get this promotion at work'. I'm sick of it; everyone wants the same damn things and they're all too lazy to work for them!"

"But you _do_ grant their wishes, don't you, Kurowanta?" Fai asked.

"I don't have a choice; it's my damn job," he replied bitterly. "And the conversation up here sucks, too. All the other stars are idiots. This is the first relatively intelligent conversation I've had since the last time you came to visit."

"Hyuu, that must be pretty tough for Kurorinta," the blond marveled jokingly. "If your most intelligent conversations are with me, you _must_ be in bad shape."

"Shut up," Kurogane huffed.

"I had a thought while I was working on one of my stars a while back and I've been meaning to ask you about it," Fai remembered suddenly.

"Yeah? What's that?" Kurogane asked.

"Do stars have wishes?"

Kurogane snorted. "I doubt if any of these guys have enough brainpower to generate a wish of their own," he sneered, gesturing at the other stars that hung around him whose eyes were vacant and smiles were placid.

"Do you have wishes?" Fai asked.

Kurogane's brows knitted together in a frown and he looked down at his feet. The blond smiled and put a hand comfortingly on his shoulder.

"It's alright," he cooed. "You can tell me; I won't laugh."

"What's yours?" the wishing star countered.

"I asked you first," Fai grinned.

"No, I'm pretty sure I asked you what yours was 15,000 years ago and you wouldn't tell me," Kurogane said stubbornly.

Fai's smile faded significantly, becoming apologetic. "I'm sorry, Kuropin; I can't tell you yet."

"What the hell?! I'm a wishing star now and you're a starmaker!" Kurogane snapped. "You said you'd tell me what your damn wish was when those two things came true!"

"I know, I'm sorry," he repeated. "The timing isn't right yet."

"Well, I'm not telling you mine until you tell me yours," Kurogane said resolutely.

Fai looked a little disappointed, but he completely understood where his friend was coming from. How could he expect Kurogane to bare his soul if he wouldn't do the same for him?

"You know the thing that really sucks about being a star?" Kurogane growled, his voice hard and bitter. "Not only can you not have someone else grant your wishes for you, but you're stuck in this fucking hellhole of a sky so that you can't grant your own, either."

* * *

_**-5,000 years later-**_

After the day when Kurogane had told him all the things he hated about being a star, Fai tried to visit him almost every day. It was tough; being a starmaker was time-consuming work, and with his stars becoming more and more popular, he had less time than ever. But Fai was usually able to make an hour or two here and there to come up to the night sky and visit his best friend. Thankfully, Kurogane hadn't asked him about his wish again since that day 5,000 years ago, but Fai could tell it still weighed on the wishing star's mind. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell Kurogane what his wish was, he just couldn't find the words to express what it was that he wanted.

However, one day, after struggling with it for so long, Fai finally figured out what he wanted to say. When the words finally came together in his head, he felt great joy, as if a heavy burden had been partially lifted from his shoulders. It wasn't lifted all the way, though. There was still the matter of telling Kurogane and waiting to see whether the star would accept his wish. It took a lot of courage, but Fai was eventually able to work up the nerve to see him about it.

"What's up? You look nervous," Kurogane said, and Fai could see the concern in his ruby eyes.

The blond took a deep breath, stealing himself for what he was about to say. "You… you remember how I couldn't tell you my wish earlier because the timing wasn't right? Well, I… I think I'm ready now."

Kurogane's eyes widened. To tell the truth, Fai had been holding this wish thing over his head for so long he had begun to wonder if there even was an actual wish or if Fai was just messing with him. He could hardly believe his ears now that Fai was saying he was going to tell him what it was.

"Yeah? And?" Kurogane prompted, trying not to let on how eager he was.

Fai stared at the ground, his blond bangs hiding his eyes from view as he clutched Kurogane's shirt in his trembling slender fingers. "I… I don't want to be in the dark anymore!"

When Kurogane didn't answer, Fai lifted his gaze to look at him, his pleading eyes shining with desperation. The wishing star's first impulse was to ask him what the hell he meant by that, but his body began to react without giving his brain time to catch up. Kurogane swept Fai into his glowing arms and kissed his lips passionately. When their mouths met, Kurogane's shining aura ignited, blazing far brighter than it ever had before, engulfing them both in a blinding light that they hardly noticed in the heat of that moment they had both been dreaming of for so long. When they finally parted, Fai laid his head happily against the wishing star's chest, simply letting Kurogane hold him.

"I've wanted this since the day we met," the blond sighed.

"Yeah, me too," Kurogane admitted, blushing.

"You'll come back down out of the sky with me, won't you?" Fai asked hopefully.

Kurogane couldn't help grinning. "You know a wishing star can't reject a wish," he replied. He lifted Fai's chin so he could kiss him again. "Especially not when it's my wish, too."

* * *

**A/N: **So? So? Did I done good? I wasn't sure about adding Fai's back story in this chapter, but I felt it was necessary to show why he was afraid of the dark, and it gave a little depth to his wish of not wanting to be in the dark anymore. Still, I'm a little worried that it was out of place…

Just a few closing notes on this chapter for those who aren't familiar with some of the astronomy terms I used. A protostar is a young star in its early stages of formation. A white dwarf is a star that is characterized by its diminutive size, its extreme density and the fact that it is relatively dull compared to other stars. I hope that clears up any confusion about those things, and I hope you all liked the chapter enough to leave a review for an eager author.


	34. Silky

**A/N: **Howdy, folks! Did you miss me? I really don't have a good excuse for my absence, aside from the fact that nothing I write seems to be turning out lately. That, and the fact that my roommate has introduced me to the wonders of Phoenix Wright and I'm so utterly and desperately in love with it that I haven't felt like doing much else aside from playing it… Sorry! Forgive me!

Speaking of my need for forgiveness (heh heh), I think I may experience it again once you all have read this chapter. It's just a silly, slightly fluffy little PWP piece based on something that I've kind of wondered as I read Tsubasa. Tell me I'm not the only one who's wondered about this, please! Anyway, do try to enjoy, alright?

* * *

**Silky**

Fai could tell when he awoke that morning that it was going to be a good day. Any day that began with him waking to find Kurogane's face buried in his chest and strong arms curled around his body as though Fai was an oversized teddy bear was bound to be good. The ex-magician tried to pull away slightly so that he could see Kurogane's handsome sleeping face, but Kurogane groaned in protest and held him tight so that he couldn't move. This made Fai laugh quietly, a gentle melodic sound that, admittedly, still made Kurogane's heart pound every time he heard it. He bowed his head so that he could touch his lips ever so lightly to the ninja's ear. Kurogane shivered at the light touch to his secret soft spot, pushing the blond away and growling irritably at the fact that not only had Fai awoken him before he was ready but now he was harassing him.

"Ooh, did I just discover my puppy's secret weakness?" Fai giggled. "Does Kuropipi not like it when I kiss his sensitive ears?"

"Leave my ears alone, dammit," Kurogane grumbled sleepily, rolling over in hopes of being able to drift off again.

The blond sat up, grinning brightly, and waited, luring his prey into a false sense of security before leaning over and kissing the tip of his lover's ear again. Faster than normal human eyes could follow, Kurogane snatched the front of Fai's pajama shirt, jerking him roughly over his side and holding him to his chest in an almost bone-crunching hug. Fai made a noise somewhere between a squeal of delight and a half-hearted whine of disappointment and indignation. Kurogane was holding him in such a way that he couldn't reach his tender ears. Not only that, but…

"Wah! What a bad doggy!" the blond scolded gleefully. "Look, you ripped my shirt."

"Aah?" Kurogane grunted, holding Fai out in front of him so that he could see the damage for himself. Most of the buttons that had been holding Fai's pale blue nightshirt closed had popped off, unable to handle the force of Kurogane's sudden tug.

"Hmph, serves you right, bastard," he huffed, smiling just a little in spite of himself.

"It's ruined!" Fai pouted, though if truth be told, he really didn't give a crap about the shirt, instead enjoying the ninja's closeness and the sleepy smirk on his face.

Kurogane, realizing that he had pretty much no chance of being allowed to go back to sleep, figured he might as well make the most of the situation. After all, the beautiful blond in his arms was warm and soft and smelled very nice. Plus, Fai's shirt was already most of the way off anyway; Kurogane was morally obligated to finish the job. He smirked again as he tore Fai's shirt open the rest of the way, exposing his snowy white chest.

"I'll show you 'ruined'," he growled, lowering his mouth to Fai's perfect silken skin.

The magician giggled when Kurogane touched a soft, teasing kiss just above his belly button and began to move upwards slowly, his kisses becoming hungrier and a bit rougher with each one he administered. By the time the ninja reached the center of his chest, he was leaving angry little red marks that stood out against Fai's ivory skin.

"Ouchy!" Fai gasped, jerking away slightly in pain. "Not so rough, Kuropipi!"

Kurogane reluctantly paused to survey the marks he had left. "Don't be such a baby," he growled, though Fai could tell that there was no real scorn in his voice.

"Be careful with me, please, Kurosama," the blond requested coyly. He propped himself up on his elbows so that he could brush a few soft kisses against the rim of the warrior's sensitive ears in punishment for his rough-housing and smirked in satisfaction when it sent a little shiver through Kurogane's body. "I like it so much better when you're gentle."

Kurogane gave him a derisive little snort of irritation, but his thumb stroked Fai's cheek lovingly. Fai relaxed onto the bed again, ready to receive more kisses. Instead, to his disappointment, Kurogane just continued to stroke his cheek slowly. Fai pouted cutely up at him. When he looked into his lover's scarlet eyes, he noticed the thoughtfulness present there. True, it was a completely adorable expression, but personally, Fai would rather have the kisses.

"Something wrong, Kurochuu?" he asked sweetly, propping himself up once more so that he could touch his lips to Kurogane's neck.

"…No…" Kurogane replied hesitantly.

Fai smiled at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue. Kurogane's only response was to continue running his thumb slowly down the blond's cheek. Fai tilted his head questioningly.

"…Are you sure there's nothing you want to say?" he asked. "Kurochii looks like he's wondering about something."

Kurogane's frown deepened as he sat up and scooped Fai into his lap. The blond was confused when the ninja nuzzled his nose gently against Fai's cheek, then touched the area softly with his lips. But these weren't the passionate kisses that he had been treating Fai to earlier, these seemed somehow curious and purposeful. The ninja appeared to be looking for something.

"…Do you shave?" Kurogane asked suddenly.

"Eh?" Fai looked at him in bewilderment. "What?"

"Don't pretend you didn't hear me," the swordsman countered shrewdly. "Just answer the question: do you or don't you?"

Fai didn't know what to say. Why in the world would it matter to Kurogane whether he shaved or not? Finally, the sorcerer slipped his usual smile back on, deciding that this must be some sort of game. Kurogane could be so weird sometimes.

"Why do you ask, Kurowanwan? Is my skin not smooth enough for you?"

"Don't be stupid," Kurogane huffed. "It's perfect, just like every other damn thing about you."

Fai giggled at the gruff compliment. "Then what's the problem?"

"It's too perfect," the warrior said, still frowning. "How could it be so smooth in the morning when you haven't even shaved yet?"

"Who says I haven't?" Fai asked playfully. "Maybe I snuck out of bed earlier this morning and shaved and had a shower before Kurorin even woke up."

"Don't bother trying to lie to me, moron," Kurogane warned. "I can always tell. Besides, I would have noticed if you'd gotten out of bed."

Fai reached up and let his slender fingers explore Kurogane's cheek. There was indeed a hint of stubble there, albeit not much. Fai laughed; he had been so wrapped up in enjoying the ninja's affection that he hadn't even noticed until this very moment.

"What the hell are you laughing at?" Kurogane demanded irritably.

"I was just wondering what Kuropyon would look like with a goatee," Fai grinned, letting his fingers play lightly across the warrior's chin. "Have you ever tried growing one?"

"Don't try to change the subject, you slippery bastard," he growled, tangling his fingers into Fai's hair. "You're not going to be able to distract me into forgetting that you still haven't answered my question."

Fai pouted. "Don't be mean, Kurotan," he whined. "Every man my age shaves! What are you trying to suggest?"

Kurogane raised an eyebrow at him, a slight smirk finding its way onto his face. His sharp eyes didn't miss the fact that Fai was now blushing, although it was so slight that anyone else probably would have missed it. So it was just as he suspected; Fai had never shaved a day in his life. The moment that Kurogane realized this was quite possibly one of the most triumphant moments of his existence. His chances to mess with and embarrass Fai were few and far between, so any opportunity that arose would be cherished deeply.

"Guess you're right," he grunted, trying to keep his smirk in check. "What kind of pretty-boy pansy wouldn't be shaving at your age?"

He practically had to bite his tongue to keep from releasing a snort of laughter at the indignant look that flashed ever so briefly across the slender magician's face and the slight increase in the blush on his fair cheeks.

"That's right," Fai pouted, promptly propping himself up again so that he could kiss the ninja's ear again several times, simultaneously exacting a bit of revenge and hiding his embarrassment.

The sorcerer tried to console himself, putting a mental bandage on his slightly wounded pride. Of course he could shave if he wanted to; he just didn't feel like it! Even in the midst of his bemusement, Fai was able to notice the strangeness of his reaction to Kurogane's accusation. Since when had he cared about people thinking he was a fruitcake? That had certainly never bothered him before. Fai put it down to the fact that he was too used to being the teaser rather than the teasee and tried to put it from his mind.

* * *

Kurogane was puzzled the next morning when he awoke to find the space in bed beside him usually occupied by Fai empty. That was weird… he hadn't even felt the blond get up. Kurogane sat up and stretched before glancing out the window. The sun was just starting to rise. Why in the world was he even awake at this hour? The ninja was just about to lie down again and go back to sleep when he decided that he might as well use the bathroom while he was up. He disentangled himself from the sheets and stumbled toward the bathroom. The light was on and the door was closed most of the way, but Kurogane's still half-sleeping brain didn't process that this probably meant it was occupied until he had already pushed the door open a little.

He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes, trying to clear away the sleep so that he could clearly make out the figure that was leaning towards the mirror. It was Fai. Kurogane opened his mouth to announce his presence, which Fai apparently hadn't noticed yet, but stopped dead when he realized that the blond had shaving cream smeared all over the lower half of his face. In his hand, he held Kurogane's razor, which he ran slowly down his cheeks in straight, even lines.

The warrior stared, transfixed by the scene before him. Although he had wondered several times throughout their journey whether Fai ever needed to shave, he had never actually been able to picture him doing so. To tell the truth, he found it kind of amusing. Fai flinched and gasped suddenly, clapping a hand to his cheek. Wincing in pain, he drew his fingers away to examine them for blood.

"Aah…" the wizard sighed shakily, hurriedly turning on the water to wash the shaving cream out of his little nick.

It took every ounce of self-control that Kurogane possessed not to let out an amused snort. Fai's inexperience with shaving was now so glaringly obvious, it was like watching an adolescent boy experimenting with it for the first time… only this "boy" was in his twenties. The knowledge that he was the one who had inspired Fai to try this only made it even funnier. Kurogane could just imagine what the blond was thinking right now: _I'll show that Kuropin-meanie! I'm a big boy and I can shave if I want to! _

He wasn't sure whether he should roll his eyes in exasperation or burst in, grab Fai by the shoulders and kiss him for all he was worth. Sure, Fai looked like a dork trying to shave for the first time, but Kurogane actually found it quite endearing. That was when Fai noticed him standing there. He gasped and whirled around to face him. There were still patches of shaving cream that the blond hadn't got around to yet with the razor and numerous little cuts where he had nicked himself. It was quite possibly one of the most ridiculous things Kurogane had ever seen. When Fai saw the broad smirk on Kurogane's face, he blushed rather brightly.

"K-Kurosama, what…?! How… how long have you been standing there?!" he squeaked.

"I knew it," Kurogane grinned. "You've never shaved before in your life."

Fai smiled sheepishly, his fair cheeks still flushed with embarrassment. "Guess you caught me, huh, Daddy?"

"Do you have any idea how stupid you look right now?" the swordsman asked, trying to force his expression back into its usual irritable frown. It wasn't working; Fai was simply too ridiculous-looking.

"What a terrible thing to say to the person you love!" Fai whined. "I'm doing this for you, after all, Kurorinta!"

"What the hell for?" he demanded, still struggling with his expression.

"I didn't want Kurokuro to think of me as…" the sorcerer paused, bringing one delicate finger to settle on his bottom lip as he searched for the correct word. "Hmm, I guess you would call it a 'hairless wonder', right?"

When Fai said that, Kurogane completely lost all ability to keep his face under control any longer. He spun around to conceal his expression, though he was given away by the uncontrollable, poorly-suppressed quaking of his shoulders.

"Hmm?" Fai said, blushing again slightly as he wiped the remainder of the shaving cream away. He tried to peer over the ninja's shoulder so that he could see his face but Kurogane turned away again stubbornly. "Kurochan, are you… are you _laughing_ at me?"

"N-no…!" Kurogane lied, trying to swat the magician away. "Don't be…s-stupid!"

"You are!" Fai gasped, thoroughly shocked, yet in a good way. "What a surprise! I didn't know Kuropyun even knew how to laugh! Perhaps this is a sign of that the apocalypse is on its way?"

"Sh-shut up!" the ninja choked. "I'm… not laughing, dammit!"

Fai giggled and hugged Kurogane from behind, his cheeks still glowing slightly, though not nearly as much as his heart was. "I love you, Kurosama. I'm glad I was able to make you laugh."

* * *

**A/N: **Was that ok? It sucked, didn't it? Dammit; I knew it. But the stupid plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone. Does anyone else have as much trouble imagining Fai shaving as I do? I dunno, maybe it's just that he's so deliciously girly that I can't see him being endowed with the ability to grow facial hair… Come to think of it, I can't really imagine Kurogane shaving, either, mainly because he doesn't seem the type to put much effort into his appearance. Plus, I have the sneaking suspicion that if he did find himself in need of a shave, he could just stand in front of the mirror, make his meanest glare and simply scare his facial hair away XD


	35. Folksy

**A/N: **Phew, back again! Sorry I haven't been posting much lately, though I assure you it's not for lack of trying. It seem to be having a hard time with these remaining prompts. I wish I could rap them up more quickly, but I'm running out of ideas for fluffy things for them to do together and a lot of times I feel like I'm recycling ideas which makes me want to kick myself. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised that I'm starting to run low; after all, I've posted more than 595 pages of KuroFai material on this site, and that doesn't even include the at least 200 pages that I decided not to post/deleted/am still working on, etc.

Anyway, I decided to make this chapter a little more fun for y'all and do a little **READER CHALLENGE!!** This is your chance to influence the next chapter of this story. See, this chapter is based on a certain video game that I hold rather near and dear to my heart. The first reviewer who can guess which game that is gets to make a request for the next chapter. The winner may suggest anything from a prompt to a situation they'd like to see to a line they'd like me to incorporate. I think I made the influences fairly obvious, so if you've played the game, you ought to be able to recognize it. Since this game is from a series that has appeared on many different consoles with many different variations, not only will you have to guess the name of the series, but also the system of the particular version I am thinking of. To give you an extra hint, the series made its debut on SNES and this particular game came out in the mid to late nineties. **One guess per person, please. **Enjoy the story and happy guessing!

* * *

**Folksy**

_-Summer-_

Kurogane knew even before the cafe came into view that something unpleasant was waiting for him just inside its doors. He was late for his daily visit after all, and he was sure that any lateness, no matter how small (and it certainly wasn't small this time— a whopping two hours) would not go unnoticed by that insane, idiotic baker. The only question in his mind was regarding the level of unpleasantness that he would have to bear. Would it just be a little pout? Not likely, considering how late he was. Or would it be, on the other extreme, a full-out tackling followed by a thoroughly embarrassing amount of fake sobbing, hugging and nuzzling. That was decidedly more likely.

Kurogane heaved a sigh, rubbing his temples in hopes of warding off the migraine that he could feel lurking in the peripheries of his head. He wondered pretty much every day why he bothered putting himself through such misery when it had no benefits that he could see, but it was days like this when he truly questioned his own sanity. It would be far easier and less painful for him to just bring a lunch to work rather than wasting the time and money walking all the way from whatever construction site he happened to be working at that day to the bakery in town and spending 200G on his usual tea and rolls. At least if he made his own lunch he wouldn't have to see that crazy, annoying, sickeningly affectionate blond.

The café was in plain sight now as he entered the cobblestone plaza that surrounded the tiny area their village called "downtown". To the right of the café, he could see the flower shop and the tall white chapel, and behind it was the artisan's shop, connected to the tool shop. The only other shops in the whole city were the inn/bar, the potion dealer, a vineyard with an attached winery (though, technically, that wasn't a shop), the carpenter's shop (where Kurogane worked), the library, and the place where the local farmers went to buy their livestock. It was a miniscule spit of a town by anyone's standards, but it was the place Kurogane called home.

Bracing himself for whatever attack might be waiting for him, the carpenter gingerly pushed open the door. The lack of consequences that followed shocked him far more than being pounced on the moment he walked in would have. Sakura and Watanuki, the two part-timers that Fai had hired to help him run the shop, were wandering around, apparently still cleaning up after the usual noon rush. The blond himself was at the counter, decorating a cake with a squeeze-bag of frosting, and didn't even look up when Kurogane entered.

Kurogane watched him for a moment, not sure if Fai was trying to lure him into a false sense of security or if he was being ignored. When the answer didn't become clear, Kurogane approached the counter warily, staying on his guard in case Fai decided to suddenly pounce. However, Fai continued to decorate his cake, seemingly unaware of the carpenter's presence even as he stood right before him. Kurogane cleared his throat expectantly. The baker started violently, giving his bag of frosting such a hard, sudden squeeze that a glob of chocolate frosting shot out and hit Kurogane right between the eyes.

"K-Kurotan!" Fai gasped. He tossed his frosting bag aside, and in what would have been a stunning display of athletics had Kurogane not seen and fallen victim to it so many times already, vaulted the counter and tackled his customer to the ground.

"Ouch! That hurt, dammit!" Kurogane snapped, trying to shove the man off of him with one hand and wipe away the frosting with the other. "Get off!"

"Kuropii!" Fai bawled in a false fit of hysterics. "You're late! I thought you were never coming back! I thought you'd forgotten all about me!"

"Don't be a dumb ass!" he growled, blushing as Fai cuddled him incessantly. "How could I forget?! I come here every freaking day!"

"You scared me, Kuropon!" the blond cried. "Don't ever be late again!"

"Hello, Kurogane san," the part-timers called, too used to this routine by now to be bothered or surprised by it.

"Hey, would someone call this crazy idiot off?!" Kurogane choked as Fai hugged him even tighter.

"F-Fai san…" Sakura stammered timidly. "Kurogane san is sorry, so please…!"

"Are you _really_ sorry, Kuropiko?" Fai demanded, running his fingers through the carpenter's hair. "I want to hear _you_ say it!"

"Fine! Sorry!" Kurogane shouted, not sounding the least bit sorry. "Now would you get the hell off of me?!"

Fai pouted cutely as he let go of his customer and sat up. "How come you're so late today, Kuropyon?"

"Not everyone can just screw around and eat cake all day like you do!" Kurogane snarled. "Some people actually have to do work! 'Snot my fault we're on a deadline and had to take a late lunch break!"

"Oh, so Kurowanwan's just late because he was working hard?" Fai asked. Then he grinned and hugged Kurogane again. "That's my Kurorin! Such a hard worker!"

"Damn right," Kurogane grunted, though he looked just the tiniest bit pleased that Fai had acknowledged his strong work ethic. "And now I'm hungry, so hurry up with the food."

"Right!" Fai chirped, saluting him before hopping to his feet and scampering off to the kitchen.

Kurogane sighed as he took a seat at a booth near the window. Watanuki brought him a glass of ice water which Kurogane gulped down.

"Fai san really was worried, though," he told the carpenter. "You should have seen him pacing earlier!"

"That's right," Sakura confirmed. "And all through the lunch rush, he kept glancing at the door and window, hoping you would be there."

"What an idiot," Kurogane grumbled, staring at the table in a weak attempt to hide the fact that heat was rising in his cheeks. "You'd think he would have learned by now that I never miss a day. I've been doing this for six freaking months now."

"I think it's sweet," Sakura said, smiling softly. "He really cares about you a lot, Kurogane san."

"Hmph," he huffed, turning his head to gaze out the window at nothing in particular.

The girl giggled quietly to herself at the older man's shyness before returning to her work. A few moments later, Fai bounded out of the kitchen, a plate in one hand and a glass of ice tea in the other. He sat down in the seat across from Kurogane as he set both items on the table before him, smiling brightly. Kurogane studied the sandwich on his plate curiously. Usually, he just got the tea and rolls and he hadn't asked for anything different this time.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Chicken salad," Fai answered brightly. "I thought Daddy might like some extra food since he was working so hard. And don't worry; it's on the house."

Kurogane blinked at him in mild surprise before picking up the sandwich and taking a bite. "Hmm… not bad," he admitted.

"Hey, Watanuki kun! He likes it!" Fai giggled. Even though he had owned this café for quite a while now, he never got tired of the satisfaction of seeing someone enjoy the food he made. The satisfaction was increased tenfold when the one enjoying his food happened to be the short-tempered carpenter. He smiled to himself as he watched Kurogane eat.

"What do you think you're looking at?" Kurogane growled, flushing slightly under the baker's gaze.

"You're so handsome, Kurochan," the blond sighed dreamily. "I'm so glad you come here every day. Even though I spend all day making sweets, none of them can compare with this kind of eye candy!"

Kurogane's blush deepened. "Don't say weird crap like that; you're creeping me out."

"Eh? But it's true Kurokuro!" Fai insisted. "Oh! By the way, I just remembered… I was going to ask you if you want to come with me to do the bamboo float on the eighth."

Kurogane frowned. "Bamboo float? What the hell is that?"

"It's kind of like a festival event where you make a little boat out of half a bamboo chute and carve your wish into it and send it down the river," Fai explained. "If you watch it float as far as you can see without it sinking, your wish will come true!"

"A wish?" Kurogane snorted. "Sounds stupid to me. If there's something you really want, then you should have to work for it instead of relying on some damn superstition to make it come true."

"B-but Fai san!" Sakura piped up nervously. "Isn't that festival usually celebrated by people who are—"

"And usually you have a couple drinks afterwards with the person you made the boats with," Fai continued, deliberately cutting her off. "It's lots of fun. You'll do it with me, won't you, Kuromyuu?"

Kurogane munched his sandwich as he considered the baker's proposition. It wasn't that he had an especially big problem with the idea of spending time with Fai outside of their usual daily meetings at the café (though he reminded himself sternly that of course he had _some_ problem with it, what with Fai being such an annoying idiot and all) …The main issue here was that something about the exchange that had just taken place seemed slightly suspicious. Why had Fai cut Sakura off when she had tried to point out what kind of people usually celebrated this particular festival?

He glanced over at her, trying to guess what she might have wanted to say by her expression. She was watching the carpenter as if she too was waiting to hear his answer, her face red and flustered. As soon as Kurogane looked at her, she started guiltily and whirled around, attacking the already-clean table behind her with her rag with unnecessary vigor. Kurogane's gaze moved between the frazzled young employee to the innocently smiling face of the baker, his eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion.

"…Fine," he agreed eventually, against his better judgment. "It's not like I've got anything better to do."

"Hurray!" Fai cheered joyfully, clapping his hands in celebration. "I've got a date with Kuropiko!"

"IT ISN'T A DATE, MORON!!" Kurogane roared, his cheeks blazing. "DON'T BE SO DAMN ARROGANT!!"

"Oh, right," Fai grinned, tweaking the carpenter's nose playfully. "Of course not; how silly of me."

"Hmph!" Kurogane huffed sullenly, swatting Fai's hand away. He glanced at the clock on the wall above the counter and noticed that his lunch break was almost over. Wanting to finish his food before it was time for him to go, Kurogane wolfed down his rolls, chasing it with a big swallow of ice tea.

"'M goin' back to work," he grumbled, worming his way out of the booth.

Fai rose with him and unnecessarily saw him to the door. "Bye, Kurochuu! Don't work too hard!" he called after the carpenter's retreating back.

The baker sighed dreamily as he closed the door.

"Congratulations on getting him to agree to go to the bamboo float festival with you!" Watanuki said to him with a smile. "To be honest, I was a little worried he might have heard it was _that_ kind of festival and refuse to go."

"Yes, so was I," Fai admitted, mirroring Watanuki's relieved smile. "I guess I ought to be thankful for once that our Kurowanko doesn't pay much attention to the local festivals, hmm? Are you planning to spend it with anyone special, Watanuki kun?"

Watanuki deflated visibly. "Well, I asked Himawari chan to go with me, of course, but… she said she had already promised to help her parents in the flower shop that evening."

"Oh, that's too bad!" Fai said sympathetically. "But…what about Doumeki kun?"

Watanuki's face went scarlet as he flailed comically. "WH-WHY THE HELL WOULD I WANT TO SPEND A LOVERS' FESTIVAL WITH THAT ANNOYING JERK?!!"

Fai laughed at his employee's reaction but decided not to press the matter. After all, Watanuki's love life was really none of his business so if the boy wasn't interested in offering him information willingly, then Fai had no right to wring him for details.

"F-Fai san…" Sakura stammered, her cheeks an adorable shade of pink. "Asking Kurogane san to spend this type of festival with you… Could it be that you have a…a c-crush on him?"

"Kyaaa! How did you know?!" Fai giggled, his own face reddening ever so slightly despite his efforts to hide it behind his hands.

Now that her suspicions were confirmed and neither Fai nor Watanuki seemed to be bothered by this revelation, Sakura relaxed and smiled softly at him. "That's wonderful, Fai san. I'm so glad to hear that you were able to find someone to fall in love with."

"Tee hee! Thank you, Sakura chan!" Fai replied coyly. "And you'll be spending the festival with Syaoran kun, I imagine?"

"O-oh! Well, um…!" she stuttered nervously, her blush returning brighter than ever. "He… he did ask me to, yes…!"

"That's nice," Watanuki grinned. "For him to have been able to ask you even though he's normally so shy around you… I guess it must be pretty important to him that he spend the festival with you, Sakura chan."

Sakura just blushed and stared silently up at the ceiling, though she couldn't help smiling at Watanuki's theory.

The dark-haired boy's shoulders sagged again. "But that means… I'm the only one here who couldn't get a date for the festival… Why do these things always have to happen to me?!"

"There, there, Watanuki kun," Fai said soothingly, patting his shoulder. "If you're too shy, I'd be happy to go ask Doumeki kun to go with you."

"I told you, I'm not going with him!" Watanuki insisted, his face reddening once more. "There's only one person I really want to go with and that's Himawari chan!"

"If you say so, Watanuki kun," the baker smiled. "Just let me know if you change your mind, ok?"

With that, Fai disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Watanuki sputtering and squirming ridiculously in the dining area.

* * *

"Hmph. You're late, idiot," Kurogane grumbled as Fai approached. Fai laughed sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, Kuropin, I…" he stopped suddenly, a slight frown coming to his face. The blond looked down at his watch. "Hold on… I told you to meet me here and eight o'clock, right?"

"Damn right! I've been waiting ten minutes!" Kurogane griped.

"But look, it's only seven fifty-nine!" Fai pointed out with a smile, showing Kurogane his watch. "I'm a minute early!"

Now it was Kurogane's turn to look sheepish. "I…Y-your watch must be wrong!" he insisted. "Why the hell would I want to get here early?!"

The baker grinned. "What does _your_ watch say, Kuropuu?"

"You've got your own damn watch!" the carpenter snapped, his face flushing. "Why should I have to tell you what time it is?! Anyway, that doesn't change the fact that you're late! The clock tower said so!"

The town clock tower chose that very convenient moment to strike eight. Kurogane seriously considered jumping into the river as Fai began to giggle at him.

"What's this?" he crowed. "Could it be that Kurowanta was so excited for our date to begin that he got here ten minutes early?"

"Sh-shut up!" Kurogane stammered, his cheeks glowing brightly. "I didn't have to come at all, you know! Maybe I'll just leave!"

"Alright, Kuropipi, alright," Fai cooed, smiling sweetly as he took the carpenter's arm. "You don't have get so embarrassed; I just thought it was cute, that's all. It makes me happy to think that Kurochan came early because he was excited to spend time with me."

Kurogane stared at the baker for a moment in surprise before snorting and quickly turning his head away.

"I brought the bamboo chute, Kurorin!" Fai chirped, showing him the cut and dried tube-shaped stalk. "Do you have a pocket knife or something that we can use to cut it in half and carve our wishes into them with?"

"Yeah." Kurogane reached into his pocket and drew out his miniature Swiss army knife. Fai handed him the stalk and let the carpenter cut it down the middle length-wise.

"What are you going to wish for, Kuromin?" Fai asked brightly as he began to carve his wish into the skin of the bamboo boat.

"I already told you, I don't believe in asking someone else to grant my wishes," Kurogane reminded him gruffly.

"But you _have_ to wish for _something_!" Fai pouted. "That's the whole point of the festival!"

Kurogane thought this over for a moment. "What are _you_ gonna wish for?"

"Me?" the blond grinned. "Sorry, Kuropon; that's a secret!"

"What the hell?!" Kurogane roared. "Don't ask someone a question if you wouldn't be willing to answer it yourself, dumb ass!"

Fai smiled mysteriously and handed Kurogane his knife back, having finished carving his wish. Kurogane hesitated for a moment before he too began to scratch something.

"Hyuu, Kuropyun's writing something!" Fai noted in surprise. "What are you writing?"

"None of your damn business!" he snapped. "If you're not gonna tell me your wish then why should I tell you mine?!"

"So stingy, Kurorinta!" Fai laughed.

"YOU HYPOCRYTICAL BASTARD!!"

"Well, I guess if Kurokuro's mother never taught him how to share, then there's not much we can do but send our boats off," the baker said, amused by how easily provoked Kurogane was.

Still fuming, Kurogane crouched down next to Fai and set his bamboo boat in the water. The two of them stood up again, watching their boats race each other down the river, Fai cheering them along with the enthusiasm of a ten-year-old child. Their boats had almost disappeared from sight when Fai's suddenly veered off course and wedged itself between two rocks.

"Oh, no!" the blond cried, hugging Kurogane's arm tightly. "It's stuck! Quick, Kurorun! You have to go rescue it!"

"Hah?! Why do I have to do it?!" the carpenter demanded angrily.

"But you've got longer arms than I do, Daddy!" Fai reminded him. "I don't think I'd be able to reach it! You have to rescue it before it sinks or else my wish won't come true!"

Grumbling irritably, Kurogane stomped downstream until he was even with the trapped boat and knelt down on the riverbank. Slowly and carefully, he leaned out over the water, straining his arm as he reached for the bamboo float. He could almost reach it; his fingers were brushing it. Just a little farther and… As Kurogane tried to extend his arm just a few more centimeters, he overbalanced and fell headfirst into the water. The splash that resulted from his fall was just enough to give the bamboo boat the extra push it needed to make it over the rocks and it continue its way down the river unnoticed by either of the men.

"Kurosama!" Fai gasped, dashing over to where Kurogane had fallen in.

The carpenter reemerged, coughing and spitting out water. Fortunately, the river was not especially deep or fast flowing, but Kurogane was still extremely displeased about falling in because of Fai's stupid demands. He glared at the blond as he pushed his wet bangs out of his eyes. Kurogane looked so utterly ridiculous, sopping wet and glowering sullenly, that Fai couldn't help giggling, though he knew it would anger his companion so he tried in vain to hide his amusement behind his hand. Predictably, his laughter set Kurogane off.

"DON'T YOU DARE LAUGH, YOU ASSHOLE!!" he raged. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!"

"I'm sorry," Fai grinned. "You're right, Kurochii. Here, let me make it up to you, ok?"

Kurogane extended his hand, thinking that Fai was going to help him get out of the water. The baker took hold of it, but instead of pulling him up, he jumped into the river with him. Kurogane, dumbfounded, wiped the water out of his eyes that had splashed him when Fai jumped in and stared in disbelief as the now soaking blond head broke the water's surface again as he popped up.

"There!" Fai trilled. "Now we're even!"

Kurogane snorted. "You idiot," he sighed. "Can you even swim?"

"Of course I can!" the baker assured him cheerfully. "But it's sweet of you to worry about me, Kurotan."

"I wasn't worried, moron," he mumbled, blushing slightly.

"Mm, this feels nice," Fai said, bobbing up and down. "It's the perfect weather for a swim. This was a great idea, Kurochan!"

"It wasn't _my_ idea!" Kurogane snapped. "I fell in because I was trying to reach _your_ stupid boat!"

"Oh, so it was my idea, then?" Fai mused. "I'm so smart!"

"Tch! Like hell you are!" Kurogane grumbled.

The blond's silence made the carpenter glance over at him curiously to see that Fai was studying something in the water with apparent fascination. Kurogane waded over to him and peered over his shoulder.

"Look, Kurowanwan; fishies!" he chirped excitedly. "Let's catch one! I bet Kuromyuu could catch one with his bare hands, right?"

Kurogane snorted again. "Of course I can."

"Wow, that's so cool!" Fai squealed. "I wanna see! Show me, Daddy!"

The carpenter pondered this for a moment. As much as he hated to admit it, the opportunity to show off in front of Fai was looking extremely appealing right now. If he caught two or three, they could even grill them and have them with their sake after they were done at the river. Grilled fish and sake sounded almost as good to him at the moment as showing off for Fai did.

Obligingly, Kurogane bent down, lowering his hands slowly. Fai watched eagerly, silent for once as he waited for Kurogane to strike. It took a good five minutes before a fish dared to swim close enough to him, but once it did, Kurogane lashed out, quick as a bolt of lightning. He flipped the fish out of the water and onto the bank where it flopped frantically. Feeling rather pleased with himself, he turned to glance smugly at Fai. The blond's sapphire eyes were wide and sparkling with admiration.

"Hyuu! That was awesome, Kuropon!" he cheered. "You were so quick! Maybe you were a ninja in another life, huh?"

"Hmph, it wasn't that hard," Kurogane bragged, though he couldn't help smirking as he basked in the praise.

"I wanna see it again!" Fai requested. "Do it again, Kuropiko!"

Hungry for more of the blond's adoration, Kurogane lowered his hands into the water once more.

* * *

"Look, Syaoran kun! There's somebody else's boats!" Sakura pointed out.

"It looks like they got stuck in these weeds," Syaoran noted.

"I wonder who they belong to…" Sakura knelt down at the water's edge and carefully plucked the two boats from their weedy snare so that she could have a peek at the wishes that were carved on them. Syaoran joined her, peeking curiously over her shoulder.

_I wish for Kurosama's love._

_I wish for that idiot's wish to come true._

"They must belong to Kurogane san and Fai san," Syaoran mused.

Sakura smiled. "Isn't that sweet? I hope their wishes come true."

The boy returned her smile affectionately. "So do I."

* * *

_-Autumn-_

Kurogane sighed as he set down his letter from Tomoyo and rubbed his temples. His younger sister had written him this month, just like she always did (not that they couldn't go visit each other fairly easily; she just lived a few miles outside of town, but he appreciated it all the same). Like always, her letter was cheerful and optimistic, telling him about things that had happened to her at her job in the tailor's shop in the next town over or about her school life. At the end of her letter this time, however, she had confided something in him that bore a more serious and sorrowful tone.

Tomoyo was in love with someone (someone who lived in Kurogane's town, as it happened, though she didn't say who, exactly) whose heart belonged to another person, and she knew that her love could never be returned in the same way. She said that she knew she ought to be satisfied to know that the one she loved was happy, and usually she was able to share that person's joy. At the same time, though, it made her sad that she could never be with the one she loved.

Kurogane usually didn't care about tangled teenage dramas and love stories, but he couldn't help feeling something at this one. Tomoyo was his baby sister, after all, and he had always played the part of the very protective older brother to her. But when it came to things like love, there was no way he could prevent her from being hurt. Kurogane knew that it was impossible for him to protect her in this aspect, but it still made him feel as though he had let her down somehow. As much as he liked to think that he was above foolish things like emotions, he could feel his heart aching on her behalf.

Surely Tomoyo would recover from this, though, right? Kurogane certainly hoped so, but he had heard stories of people who were rejected by the ones they loved and never recovered from it. That couldn't happen to Tomoyo, could it? Admittedly, he was pretty worried about her. Kurogane glanced up at the clock on his wall. It was almost time for him to go to work. Grudgingly, he put the letter away and slipped on his shoes.

* * *

Fai hummed happily to himself as he took a chocolate cake out of the oven. He never tired of the smell of freshly baked chocolate cake; it lifted his spirits every time he experienced it. Sakura was in good spirits as well as she mixed up some cream cheese frosting. Even Watanuki, whose moods could be a bit volatile and unpredictable at times, was merrily working on something.

"Goodness," Fai smiled. "Everyone sure seems to be in a good mood today!"

"W-well, um…" Sakura blushed and gripped the hem of her apron as she grinned shyly. "Actually, Syaoran kun invited me to his house to study after work today, so…"

"That's great, Sakura chan!" Fai cheered. "I'm so happy for you! You'd better take some tea and cookies to share, huh? I'll put some in a bag for you!"

"Wow, thank you, Fai san!" she said.

Fai twirled over to where Watanuki was putting the finishing touches on a trifle cake.

"And what's got our little Watanuki kun so happy today?" he asked.

The dark-haired boy nearly jumped out of his skin at Fai's question, apparently not having noticed that Fai had come up right beside him. Watanuki's face turned scarlet.

"N-n-nothing special, really!" he insisted. "I…I just ran into Himawari chan on my way to work today and… sh-she let me walk her to the flower shop! Th-that's all, I swear!"

"Oh?" Fai said innocently, tilting his head as he gave his employee a disarming smile. "So that's it, hmm?"

"Yes! Of course! W-well, I'm going to go, um… out there now!" Watanuki stuttered, pointing to the dining area beyond the swinging kitchen doors. "Gotta m-make sure everything's ready before we open!"

Fai watched amusedly as Watanuki transferred his finished trifle cake to the refrigerator and dashed out of the kitchen as though there were a hungry tiger on his heels. Watanuki himself had opened the shop ten minutes ago, which completely shot down his excuse that he was going to prepare for opening.

"Fai san," Sakura hissed, motioning the baker over and cupping a hand around her mouth confidentially. Fai came over curiously, bending down so that she could whisper in his ear. "Actually, I when I was on my way here today, I saw Watanuki san talking to Doumeki san. Today is Doumeki san's birthday and he told Watanuki san to make him a trifle cake. Watanuki san got mad like he always does and said he wasn't going to do it, but…"

Fai grinned and straightened up. "Ah, so that's it! Well, isn't that cute!"

"But please don't tell him I said anything to you!" Sakura pleaded. "Watanuki kun would be really embarrassed if he found out I saw them!"

"Don't worry, Sakura chan," Fai assured her. "Their secret is safe with me."

* * *

It was about one o'clock when Kurogane made his usual appearance at the bakery. Fai smiled brightly at the sight of the carpenter and bounded over to give him a hug. He threw his arms around the other man's broad shoulders and nuzzled his cheek against his chest, but when Kurogane didn't shout at him or make any attempt to push him away, Fai looked up at him curiously.

"Get off, idiot," Kurogane grumbled belatedly.

Fai frowned slightly, noticing that something about his customer wasn't quite right. He opened his mouth to ask him what was wrong, but closed it again thoughtfully. If he knew Kurogane at all, it would difficult for him even in the best of conditions to admit when something was bothering him. He surely wouldn't be willing to divulge it when Sakura and Watanuki and a few other scattered customers were around to hear it. Fai decided to keep quiet about it for now and make a point to see that they could get some time alone later when he could ask about it. For now, he just led Kurogane over to his usual table by the window before hurrying off to the kitchen to get his food.

"So, Kurowanta," he began conversationally as he set a plate containing a sandwich and a bowl of soup down in front of him. "How has work been so far today?"

"Fine," Kurogane said distractedly, picking up his sandwich without even asking about the bowl of soup, which wasn't part of his usual order.

Fai observed him in silence, trying to guess the nature of Kurogane's problem based on the vibes he was giving off. They weren't especially strong, so Fai figured the problem must not be terribly serious. He didn't sense any fear, anger or urgency; mostly it was sorrow, regret and concern. Even though he didn't know what was troubling the carpenter, the though of Kurogane in pain hurt him. His face must've reflected this because when Kurogane finally glanced up at him, he frowned and sat up straight.

"What?" he asked.

"Hmm?" Fai said, regaining his usual smile.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" the carpenter demanded.

"Oh, I guess I must've just spaced out," Fai replied sheepishly.

"Tch. Do that too often and people will take advantage of you," Kurogane warned.

The blond couldn't help grinning at that. "Were _you_ planning to take advantage of me, Kurochuu?" he asked in a seductive voice, fluttering his eyelashes flirtatiously.

Kurogane's face reddened. "That's not what I meant, dumb ass!"

"If you say so, Kurorin," he purred. "Say, are you busy tonight at eight?"

"No," Kurogane said. "Why?

"I was wondering if you might be willing to stop by here if you don't have anything else you have to do."

"I guess," the carpenter agreed. "But what for? Don't you close this place at eight?"

"There's something I want to ask you," the baker answered elusively. "And I would hate for us to be disturbed."

Kurogane forced himself to look down at his soup again as he tried (and failed) not to blush as his mind jumped to conclusions about what that something might be.

"Hmm? Why did Kurochan's face get all red when I said that?" Fai giggled. "What are you imagining, Kurochii, you naughty boy?"

"N-nothing!" Kurogane insisted, his face flushing even more. "I…I wasn't imagining anything! Jeez! I'm goin' back to work!"

* * *

When the time neared for Kurogane to visit the bakery that night, he made sure it was exactly eight o'clock when he left his house. After all, he didn't want Fai to tease him again for being early. He was greeted by the smiling baker when he arrived, though Kurogane noticed immediately that there was something different about that smile. It was tinged with a mixture of pity and apprehensiveness, and something else Kurogane couldn't quite identify. Was it…longing?

"What the hell?" he growled. "There you go giving me that look again."

"Hmm? What look would that be, Kuromin?" Fai asked, feigning ignorance.

"That look like you're feeling sorry for me or something," Kurogane answered. "I don't know why you think you have anything to feel sorry for me about, but cut it out. It's pissing me off."

"Sorry, Kurorin," Fai said. "I know you don't need other people's pity, but… I can't help it. I'm worried about you."

The carpenter stared at him, his garnet eyes widened in surprise. Fai smiled at him again as he took his arm.

"Come this way, Kuronro," he urged, tugging him towards the door to the right of the kitchen.

Kurogane followed in silence, wondering where the baker was leading him. Fai opened the door to reveal a small but well-kept living space. To tell the truth, Kurogane was a bit surprised, though he did his best to conceal it.

"So, this is your place, huh?" he asked, trying to sound disinterested and nonchalant about it.

"Yes…" Fai replied slowly, looking up at him with an odd mix of puzzlement and amusement on his face. "Is there a problem with it, Kuromu? Does it disappoint you that I live in a tiny little two-room apartment connected to my shop?"

Kurogane snorted in disbelief. "Don't be stupid. Why would it disappoint me? I just didn't know your house was connected to the place, that's all. 'Snot like I give a shit what your house looks like or anything."

In reality, though, seeing the place where Fai lived, not to mention standing in it, caused a strange, almost giddy sensation to flare up in his chest. So that bed across the room from where he stood was where Fai slept every night? That closet over there was where Fai kept his clothes? That little bathroom off to the side was where Fai showered and made himself beautiful?

Kurogane wanted to punch himself in the nose. Why was he getting so worked up over seeing Fai's apartment? He hated to admit it, but this excitement was probably almost on the level of some insane fangirl getting to tour the mansion of her favorite actor. All he could do was bite his tongue and pray that Fai couldn't hear his heart throbbing from where he was standing.

The carpenter was just thinking that maybe he would be able to get himself under control in a minute or two when Fai spoiled it by leading him over to the bed, sitting down on it and patting the spot beside him, inviting Kurogane to do the same. Kurogane stared at him blankly for a moment before realizing that if he didn't accept Fai's invitation, the baker might guess what kind of effect all this was having on him. Mentally snarling at himself not to be such a stupid girl, Kurogane took a deep breath and sat beside him. As he came into contact with the mattress, an involuntary shiver ran through his body. Luckily Fai seemed not to notice that his guest was practically dying of heart palpitations at his side.

"S-so what are we doing here?" Kurogane choked. Oh god, why did his voice have to come out sounding so strained? Luckily, again, Fai seemed to misinterpret the reason for Kurogane's odd sounding voice, because he took one of the carpenter's hands between both of his own and began to stroke the back of it gently.

"I thought you might like to talk about what's bothering you," he explained softly. "I noticed when you came in for lunch today that you seemed sad and worried. Is everything alright, Kurochan?

Admittedly, he had kind of expected something like this when Fai had said that he was worried about him. At the same time, however, it caught him a little off guard. It wasn't the fact that Fai had noticed his mood that surprised him; rather, he hadn't really expected Fai to go to such efforts to find out what was bothering him and try to offer him comfort. Sure, it wasn't unusual for the blond to be affectionate towards him, but Kurogane had always kind of assumed that Fai was doing it to mess with him. This treatment that the baker was giving him now… to tell the truth, he was kind of touched by it.

But that didn't mean Kurogane was going to give in to him that easily. He did have a reputation to uphold, after all.

"…It's got nothing to do with you," he mumbled, turning his head away in hopes that Fai wouldn't notice him blushing.

Fai seemed hurt by this answer and Kurogane immediately felt guilty. "Kurochuu… I understand that you like to keep these kinds of things to yourself and that you don't like involving other people in your problems, but…"

The carpenter looked back down at him when Fai gripped his arm but didn't continue. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of silence, Fai spoke again, though he didn't meet Kurogane's gaze. "I wonder… do you really hate me, Kurosama?"

Kurogane didn't know how he should answer that question so he just said nothing and waited for Fai to explain where he had gotten such a ludicrous idea.

"I mean… you know that I really care about you a lot, right? And yet you won't tell me when something is causing you pain… Are you trying to hurt me…? Do you wish I would just leave you alone?"

Kurogane was speechless for a moment. That wasn't what he had been trying to imply at all! Were those the vibes the baker got from him? Sure, Kurogane knew that maybe he was a little rough with Fai at times, but that was only because he wasn't really sure how he felt towards him and because he knew Fai would tease him if he treated him too nicely. Eventually, the carpenter got his voice back. "…Are you seriously that stupid?"

"Eh?" Fai asked in surprise, meeting his eyes at last.

"If I didn't want anything to do with you, why would I bother dragging my ass all the way over to your shop to have lunch every day? Why would I have gone to that festival with you?" he pointed out impatiently, trying not to blush. "If I hated you, I wouldn't waste a single second hanging around with you if I didn't have to."

Fai's wide blue eyes glimmered with relief for a moment before being clouded over again by confusion. "Then why won't you tell me what's wrong?"

Kurogane hesitated again, struggling with himself as he tried to decide whether to protect his loner, tough-guy image or his relationship with Fai. "…It's Tomoyo," he relented finally.

"Your sister?" Fai asked, looking worried again. "What happened?"

"She's interested in someone who's in love with someone else," Kurogane mumbled. He felt uncomfortable discussing this sort of thing, especially with Fai. "She tried to act like it wasn't that big of a deal, but I don't buy if for a minute. The fact that she was willing to mention it to me at all proves that she must be pretty torn up about it."

"You're worried about her, huh?" the baker said quietly, thinly veiled affection rising in his voice. It wasn't often that Kurogane exposed his gentle, caring side, but when he did, it made Fai's heart turned to slush.

"…This is the one area of her life where I can't do anything for her," he said through gritted teeth, clenching his hands into fists in his lap. "It's my job as her older brother to protect her and I let her down…"

Fai's shaking hands gripped the hem of his shirt tightly. Moments like this reminded him why he had fallen in love with Kurogane in the first place. It took every ounce of self control he possessed not to kiss him. Instead, he brought a soft, pale hand to Kurogane's cheek, stroking it with his thumb as he guided the carpenter's head down to rest on his shoulder so that he could nuzzle his cheek against Kurogane's spiky black hair.

"You're so sweet and loyal, Kuromyuu," he cooed. "Even if it ends up causing some problems for you when you're not always able to help the ones you care about… I still love that about you."

Kurogane was silent as Fai continued to stroke his cheek soothingly.

"I know you want to protect Tomoyo chan from ever being hurt by anything, but when you think about it, that's just not possible, is it? You probably don't want to hear this right now, Kuropyon, but sometimes you just have to recognize that there are some things that you simply can't do. No one holds that against you; it's part of being human. Besides," Fai paused, leaning closer to Kurogane absentmindedly and kissing the top of his head, "Tomoyo chan is a beautiful, intelligent girl with many admirable qualities. Even if this person that she's in love with right now can't return her feelings, I'm sure that it won't be so hard for her to someday find someone who can."

Kurogane frowned slightly as he considered Fai's words, wondering if the blond had really just kissed the top of his head or if he had just imagined it. Either way, what Fai had said had somehow managed to calm a great deal of the uneasiness and regret he had felt at not being able to protect his sister. True, he was still somewhat worried about her, but Fai's argument made sense. Tomoyo was the type of girl that any man would be happy to have. He was sure that she would find someone who would help her put this whole ordeal behind her, even if he couldn't be that person.

"…Hmph," he huffed eventually, scooting just a tiny bit closer to the baker's warm, soft body. Even if he was thankful towards Fai for helping put his fears at ease, he still hated it when the blond was right. He made a mental note to himself to never let it happen again and decided to leave it at that.

* * *

_-Winter-_

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Kurogane grumbled irritably, getting up to answer his door as his unknown visitor tapped on it incessantly.

He pulled it open, the light from inside his house flooding out to illuminate the tall, slender figure of Fai on his doorstep. The blond wore a long, fluffy white and blue winter coat and a (rather adorable) matching striped scarf, his cheeks and the tip of his nose flushed from the chill. He greeted Kurogane with a cheerful smile, to which Kurogane responded with a glare.

"What the hell are you doing here at this hour, idiot?" the carpenter growled.

"Well…" Fai grinned. "I had already closed up the bakery for the night and was feeling kind of lonely so I thought I'd come and visit! And I wanted to make sure that Kurokuro was staying warm so I brought some hot tea and biscuits for us!"

He held up a thermos and a small white cake box for Kurogane to see. The carpenter sighed, feigning irritation, and stepped aside to let Fai in. Fai removed his snowy shoes in the entryway and set the treats down on Kurogane's old, square wooden table so that he could take off his coat and scarf which he draped over the back of one of the chairs.

"Ooh, it's nice and warm in here," he noted happily. "And Kuropipi has a fire going. I guess I didn't really need to worry about you, did I?"

"No," Kurogane replied bluntly, though maybe he did appreciate the sentiment just a little.

"Still, I just love cuddling and drinking tea with someone in front of a fire during the winter," the baker sighed dreamily.

"Who said you could do that with _me_?!" Kurogane demanded, blushing.

"Don't be shy, Kuropiko," Fai giggled. "It'll be fun; I promise!"

"Tch! Like hell it will," he griped, but he allowed Fai to pull him over to the chair in front of the fire and push him into it.

The baker scampered over to the table to grab the tea and biscuits and rejoined the carpenter in the chair. He smiled sweetly at Kurogane as he made himself comfortable in the other man's lap and pushed a mug of tea into his hands. Kurogane accepted it silently, blushing as Fai snuggled up to him and popped open the cake box so that the two of them could access the treats inside. Fai sipped his tea contentedly, smiling again as Kurogane's strong arm slipped behind him to support the blond's back.

"See, this isn't so bad, is it, Kurorinta?" he asked. "You're a natural. If I didn't know better, I'd think maybe you were an expert in snuggling!"

"Don't push your luck, asshole, or I'll kick you out," Kurogane warned peevishly, though both of them knew this was an empty threat.

"But I like this; Kurochan knows exactly the right way to hold me," Fai cooed. "I was just trying to give you a compliment."

"I don't need it," he snorted, taking a biscuit from the box on Fai's lap.

"How is it, Kurowanwan?" the baker asked as Kurogane took a bite.

"…Hmph. Not completely disgusting, I guess," Kurogane said as he munched the biscuit thoughtfully. "I thought it'd be sweeter, knowing you and your fascination with sweet crap."

"I knew Kuromyuu didn't like sweets so I only added a little sugar," Fai reported proudly, taking one for himself and biting into it. "It's not bad this way, I suppose, but I like the sweet kind better… I sort of wish I'd remembered to bring some honey butter."

Then he smiled up at the carpenter. "But maybe Kurowanta is sweet enough to make up for it."

"Shut it, you," Kurogane growled.

The two of them drank tea and ate the biscuits in companionable silence until Fai yawned and stretched his arms.

"Mm, it's so nice and warm in Kuropyun's arms that I'm starting to feel a little sleepy," he said, sounding a little apologetic.

"Don't fall asleep on me, idiot," Kurogane huffed, though to be completely honest, he was starting to get tired also, and maybe the idea of letting Fai fall asleep in his arms wasn't entirely repulsive. Fai was about to pout at him not to be so mean when a deep, low rumbling sound reached his ears. The ground beneath their feet began to tremble, slightly at first, though it escalated quickly into something more violent.

"An earthquake?" Fai wondered aloud.

He let out a little squeak of surprise when Kurogane's arms curled around him protectively and he suddenly stood up, clutching the blond to his chest. Kurogane dropped to his knees beside the bed and hustled Fai under it before crawling beneath it himself to wait out the tremors. Earthquakes weren't terribly common in their area, but they were frequent enough that the two of them had experienced several in their lifetimes. Obviously Kurogane, like most others who lived in their part of the country, knew that the safest place to be in an earthquake was under a low, sturdy structure that would shelter them in case the roof fell in.

Fortunately, the quake wasn't strong enough to damage the house. Within five minutes, the trembling had ceased and everything was still and silent once more. The two of them poked their heads cautiously out from under the bed, waiting to make sure that the earthquake was really over before they emerged. Once Kurogane was satisfied that they were safe, he dragged himself out from under the bed and offered his hand to help Fai out.

"Goodness; that surprised me!" Fai admitted. "It's been a while since our last earthquake, huh?"

"Yeah," Kurogane agreed. "Looks like it's over now, though."

"Let's go back to snuggling," the blond suggested with a grin.

"Forget it," Kurogane said. "I'm gonna go take a bath."

"Aw, are you sending me home, Daddy?" Fai pouted. "You're no fun."

Fai got to his feet and reluctantly made his way over to the chair where he had hung his coat and scarf.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kurogane asked.

"Eh?" Fai said, surprised.

"You're staying here tonight; at least until we're sure it's safe to go out," he ordered, turning his back on the other man so that Fai wouldn't see how flushed his cheeks were becoming over the implications of his demand.

"Eh?" Fai repeated, hardly daring to believe what he was hearing. Was Kurogane seriously asking him, no, telling him to spend the night?

"You heard me," the carpenter growled. "Just wait here; you can take a bath once I'm done."

Fai smiled softly, touched by his companion's concern. "Thank you, Kurosama."

"Hmph," Kurogane snorted, stomping off to the bathroom.

* * *

Kurogane was already in bed with the lights out when Fai, now clad in one of Kurogane's oversized shirts, had finished his bath, though the blond was pretty sure the carpenter wasn't asleep yet. He had only his suspicions to go on, however, as Kurogane gave every appearance of being asleep. As there was only one bed and no couch, it appeared that Fai had no choice but to climb in with Kurogane. He hesitated at first, wondering if it would be too forward of him and if Kurogane would be angry. Then he noticed that his host had left a suspiciously large amount of space free beside him. Surely if Kurogane had meant to keep the bed to himself, he would have made a point to stretch out across it more.

Fai smiled to himself, noting for about the hundredth time what a cutie pie Kurogane was. The baker crawled happily under the covers beside the one he loved and cuddled up close, breathing in the light, pleasant scent of Kurogane's soap. To his delight, the carpenter's arms encircled his slender body and held him gently against his bare chest, welcoming him. Fai sighed contentedly as he brushed a tiny, shy kiss against Kurogane's collarbone, curled up in his embrace and fell asleep.

* * *

"Hey," Kurogane said, shaking Fai lightly. "Hey, you; wake up."

"Mm?" Fai moaned, his eyelids fluttering sleepily. "…Kuropiko?"

"You better get up. Don't you have to be to work soon?" he reminded him.

Fai rolled over and pulled the covers up over his head. "Don't wanna go to work…Five more minutes."

"I'm not your mother, you bastard!" Kurogane snapped, whacking him over the head with a pillow. "Get your lazy ass out of bed before I decide to get a handful of snow and stick it down your shirt!"

"How mean, Daddy!" Fai whined, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his beautiful blue eyes. "How can you go from cuddling me so sweetly all night to threatening me so rudely this morning?"

"Quit acting like a little kid!" the carpenter scoffed, his face reddening at the mention of the cuddling that had gone on the previous night. "It's your responsibility as an adult to get up and go to your job on time! You shouldn't need me to remind you! And if you say one word about last night to _anyone_, I swear I'll kill you!"

"Goodness, Kuropun sure is grumpy in the morning," Fai teased as he climbed out of bed and began looking around for his clothes.

"Shut up," Kurogane growled.

"Did someone come to the door early this morning, Kurokuro?" the baker asked, pulling on his shirt. "I thought I felt a cold breeze from you opening the door and some voices."

"That was my boss," the carpenter replied. "Apparently the earthquake last night opened up a hot spring in the mountains so we'll be working there today, building an outdoor bath."

"Really?!" Fai asked excitedly. "Hyuu! We're getting an outdoor bath! I can't wait!"

"I knew you'd say that," Kurogane smirked, sitting down at the table with his usual breakfast of onigiri and miso soup. "But that means I probably won't be able to come to your place for lunch until it's finished. It's too far from the construction site for me to be able to get there, eat, and make it back on time before my break is over."

"Oh, that's ok, Kurowanko," Fai assured him, joining him at the table and gratefully accepting the onigiri and miso soup that Kurogane had made for him. "I can come to you and bring your lunch. It'll be a thank you for doing such a good job protecting me from the scary earthquake last night. Will soup, a sandwich, rolls and some tea be alright?"

"If you really want to, then fine," Kurogane shrugged, though his cheeks went pink with pleasure at the realization that Fai was willing to go to so much effort to keep their usual lunch arrangement.

"It's a date, then, Kuroron," Fai grinned as Kurogane got up from the table and pulled on his coat. "Have a good day at work! I'll see you at lunchtime!"

* * *

True to his word, Fai showed up every day that week at Kurogane's construction site in the mountains with plenty of hot food for the two of them to share. Kurogane might have been a little more hesitant to accept Fai's company in addition to the food if it weren't for the fact that two of his fellow carpenters, Doumeki and Rikuo, also received visits from their own boy-toys during lunch break (though Watanuki usually refused to bring Doumeki's food in person and just sent it along with Fai, he did make one or two appearances. Kazahaya, who was apparently completely useless at cooking, just brought food from the inn and bar where his sister was a waitress. He made a point of reminding Rikuo rather loudly every day that he was only doing this because his sister got the food for free and he couldn't stand the thought of spending his lunch hour with his boss Kakei, the potion dealer, and his lover Saiga). The youngest carpenter on the team, Syaoran, naturally received food from Sakura, though she wasn't able to bring it to him herself on the days that Watanuki decided to come for Doumeki as there had to be someone to watch the bakery at all times.

Even though Fai certainly had no problem with delivering Kurogane's lunch every day, he was still pretty glad when the week ended and the construction team finished their work on the outdoor bath. It was a long, hard walk to get to the construction site and he couldn't help feeling a little bit guilty about leaving the bakery in the hands of his part-timers every day while he went to bring lunch to the one he loved. It didn't help his conscience that both of them also had love-interests who worked at the construction site as well. Regardless of the reasons, it was good to have things back to normal.

When Kurogane came for lunch on the twenty fourth, however, exactly one week after finishing work on the outdoor bath, Fai noticed that for some reason, the carpenter seemed far more nervous than usual. He was antsy the whole time he was eating, did a lot more playing with his food than usual, spaced out frequently during their conversation and would jump and blush every time Fai drew his attention back to the present. Admittedly, the blond was a bit worried… until he found out the explanation behind Kurogane's unusual nervousness.

"Hey, uh…" Kurogane began in a mumble as he got up to go back to work, his face redder than ever. "Have you tried out the new outdoor bath?"

Fai shook his head. "I guess I haven't really had time yet."

"Well, I'm gonna head over there tonight at nine, so…" the carpenter cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "You should come."

The blond was momentarily struck speechless at the strangeness of his request when he suddenly remembered something. Something very special happened every winter on the twenty fourth. If Kurogane wanted him to spend that evening outdoors with him, then it could only mean… A 1,000 watt smile lit up the baker's face as a warm, fluttering sensation spread throughout his entire body.

"Of course, Kurosama," he agreed softly. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Hmph," Kurogane grunted, turning on his heel and marching stiffly out of the bakery the moment Fai's agreement had left his mouth. Fai couldn't help giggling in adoration as he noticed how red the carpenter's ears were as he left.

"What was the matter with him?" Watanuki asked, looking thoroughly puzzled. "He sure was jumpy today."

"Oh, that was just our Kurotan being his usual shy self," Fai gushed, hugging himself and squirming in anticipation of what was to come that night. "He asked if I wanted to go enjoy the new outdoor bath with him tonight!"

"But isn't tonight the Starry Night festival?" Sakura gasped.

"Exactly!" the baker squealed, jumping up and down and clapping his hands excitedly.

"Wow, that's great Fai san!" Watanuki said, laughing at his boss's pure joy. "_He_ even asked _you_ this time!"

"Congratulations, Fai san!" Sakura beamed, taking his hands between hers. "You're going to have a fabulous time; I'm sure of it!"

"Ah, I'm so excited, I can hardly wait!" Fai admitted. "I hope today goes by fast!"

* * *

Unfortunately for Fai, the day seemed to drag by particularly slowly. Even though he tried to tell himself that time would pass more quickly if he kept himself busy and didn't look at the clock, he just couldn't seem to stay occupied. Things became even more difficult once he had closed up the shop. The blond paced restlessly and glanced at the clock every few minutes. When it finally reached eight thirty, Fai decided that he could probably start making his way to the mountains if he walked slowly.

He managed to get there just as the town clock tower was striking nine and Kurogane appeared to have gotten there rather recently as well. He was inside the fenced-in area, lighting one of the lanterns. Kurogane whirled around to face him as Fai entered the through the door in the high wooden fence and blushed at the grin the baker flashed him. Even though he wore his usual scowl, Fai could sense the carpenter's anticipation as well.

"Hello, Kuromyuu!" Fai chirped. "Fancy seeing _you_ here!"

"…Whatever, you moron," he snorted, avoiding his eyes.

The two of them turned their backs to each other as they quickly undressed, wrapped towels around their waists and jumped into the hot water in order to escape the cold. Fai smiled shyly as he sat down next to Kurogane on the ledge that encircled the inside of the bath a few feet beneath the water's surface, so close to the other man that their hips were touching. He took Kurogane's arm as the two of them tilted their heads back to stare at the clear night sky.

"They sure are beautiful, aren't they?" Fai asked quietly. "I guess there's a good reason that this night was chosen for the Starry Night festival, huh?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kurogane lied, his cheeks reddening further.

"Sure you don't, Kuropin," Fai grinned. "Hey, what's that?"

He pointed to a slender glass bottle that sat near the edge of the bath along with two short, wide-mouthed cups.

"Brought some wine," Kurogane mumbled. "You want some?"

"Ooh, that sounds great!" Fai chirped. "I love drinking wine in outdoor baths!"

The carpenter rolled his eyes but popped open the bottle and passed Fai one of the glasses so that he could pour some for him.

"Mm, this is tasty," he commented appreciatively. "What kind is it?"

"It's called Doorway to Heaven," Kurogane replied. "I guess it's a specialty or something of the local winery."

"It's amazing!" Fai said. "Yuuko san sure knows how to make the best wine!"

"Tch. That bitch doesn't do jack shit," Kurogane sneered. "She's just the stupid lush who owns the place. It's Kinomoto, Motosuwa, and Fujimoto who do the real work. If it wasn't for them, she'd just drink all the wine in the whole winery and the place would go under in about a day."

"Don't be so cynical, Kuropon," Fai laughed. "If it wasn't for the secret refining technique that's been passed down through Yuuko san's family, I don't think the wine would taste quite the same."

"Hmph," Kurogane said doubtfully, taking a drink of his own wine.

"You know what else I've heard about this wine?" Fai asked softly, smiling at his companion. "It's a favorite among lovers."

"Wh-what?!" the carpenter sputtered. "N-no one told _me_ that! If I'd known, I sure as hell wouldn't have gone through all that shit to get it for something stupid like this!"

"Did you go through a lot of trouble to get this, Kurotan?" the baker asked innocently.

"Vintage stuff like this doesn't come cheap, you know!" he snapped. "That damn witch charged me an arm and a leg for it!"

"I appreciate your effort, Kurochan," Fai assured him, sitting up straight so that he could place a grateful kiss on Kurogane's cheek. Kurogane turned beet-red but said nothing in protest. Fai giggled happily and laced their fingers together as he took another sip of wine. Suddenly, the blond gasped and pointed to something up in the sky.

"Look, Kurochuu!" he breathed. "A meteor shower is starting!"

Sure enough, streaks of light began to rain down from the inky black sky. Fai hugged Kurogane's arm, the natural fireworks glimmering in his beautiful sapphire eyes and making them look all the more enchanting. In Kurogane's opinion, Fai's eyes were far more captivating than any old meteor shower. Fai sighed contentedly and laid his head on Kurogane's shoulder.

"We sure are lucky, huh?" he whispered, his soft, pale lips grazing Kurogane's skin lightly. "I bet meteor showers don't happen on the Starry Night festival very often. I'm so glad that I could spend tonight with you, Kuropiko."

Kurogane cleared his throat nervously as he rested his cheek lightly on top of Fai's head, appreciating nature's beauty and this rare chance to spend time alone with the baker. The two of them stayed this way, watching the meteor shower in silence for a good hour before Fai got unsteadily to his feet.

"I'm sorry, Kurosama, but I think I have to get going," he said apologetically. "Spending so long in the bath is starting to make me feel a little dizzy…Ah!"

In his dizziness, Fai lost his balance as he tried to climb out and fell backwards into the bath again. Kurogane rescued the slender blond from the water and helped him get a dry towel wrapped around himself.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to walk you home," Kurogane sighed irritably. "What a pain in the ass."

"Sorry, Daddy," Fai repeated, starting to shiver now that he was no longer in the warm water. He quickly pulled his clothes on as Kurogane did the same. As soon as both of them were dressed, Kurogane looped an arm around Fai's shoulders to help steady him and escorted the baker back home.

* * *

Kurogane blinked in surprise when he opened his door the next morning to leave for work and found Sakura standing there, her fist raised as she prepared to knock.

"Ah! Kurogane san!" she panted, looking relieved. "I'm glad I caught you before you left!"

"What's up?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the girl who was still trying to catch her breath.

"It's Fai san…!" she said concernedly. "When I got to work this morning, he wasn't there so I knocked on the door to his apartment! Usually, he gets up at four to start making the bread and donuts, but today, I peeked into his room and his alarm clock was going off but he wasn't getting up! I think he's…!"

Kurogane's eyes widened in horror. Without giving Sakura a chance to finish her sentence, he dashed off towards the bakery, running as hard as he could.

"Kurogane san! Wait!" Sakura called after him in vain.

Kurogane threw open the door to Fai's apartment without bothering to remove his shoes or coat, halting abruptly at the blond's bedside where Fai still lie beneath the covers. When he realized that Fai was, in fact, still breathing, albeit rather uneasily, Kurogane let out a long sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his brow. The stupid guy wasn't dead after all; that foolish girl had went and got him all worked up for nothing.

Fai was shivering quite violently, though, and his cheeks were noticeably flushed. Kurogane laid a hand on the baker's forehead and found it blazing with fever. Worry rose up in his chest once again, but it was considerably less than what he had experienced before. Sure, Fai's fever was pretty high, but it wasn't going to kill him. Kurogane was sure that he could take a day or two off of work to care for the blond and thought he should be able to help Fai get back on his feet again at least by the end of the week. Shaking his head in exasperation, Kurogane left Fai's room with the intention of notifying his boss about his plans and returning home to get some supplies. Sakura stumbled back into the bakery as Kurogane was closing Fai's door behind him. She dropped into one of the booths, trying to get her breath back.

"Tch! You could've told me he was just sick," he said to her sullenly. "The way you said it, I thought the bastard had died or something."

"I'm s-sorry…" she panted. "You ran off b-before… I could finish…"

"Jeez," Kurogane grumbled. "Making me run like that for nothing… Well, looks like I've got no choice but to let my boss know I'm staying here to take care of that moron today. I'll be back in forty-five minutes or so."

"Thank you very much, Kurogane san," Sakura said, getting up from the booth to bow to him gratefully as he left the shop.

* * *

"Yes, can I help you?" Kazahaya asked, appearing from behind a row of shelves when he heard someone enter the shop. "Oh, hello, Kurogane san. Um, is there something I can help you find…?"

"I'm looking for cold medicine," he said shortly. "That idiot baker went and got himself sick."

"Ah, sure! Just a minute, I'll go get it!" Kazahaya disappeared down a different aisle and emerged with a small bottle of red liquid in his hand. "That'll be 1500G, please."

"Damn, this stuff's expensive," Kurogane groused as he dug into his wallet. "That bastard'd better appreciate this."

"Thank you for coming," Kazahaya said with a bow.

Now that he had the medicine, Kurogane headed for home to get some extra blankets. Maybe he would even make Fai some of the hot chocolate that his mother had always made for him and his sister when they had been sick as children. He was sure that Fai would probably almost have kittens over the fact that Kurogane had gone to the trouble of making him his mother's special homemade hot chocolate. Not that he was particularly interested in Fai's reaction; he just figured that the sooner the blond got better, the less days he would have to take off of work in order to take care of him. And of course with a fever like the one Fai had, he would probably be too weak to sit up and drink it, so Kurogane would have to hold him as he did so. The carpenter could feel heat rising in his cheeks at the very idea. Sternly, he forced himself to think of something else, telling himself that it was the chill that was making his face go red.

* * *

An hour later, Kurogane was back in Fai's apartment with an arm-full of extra blankets and a thermos of hot chocolate. He pulled a chair over to Fai's bedside and plunked himself down in it. Fai was still fast asleep, his brow furrowed slightly in the discomfort caused by his illness. Still, he managed to somehow look sweet and beautiful in spite of it.

Kurogane set the thermos on the floor and spread the blankets over Fai's slim, trembling body. Wanting to administer the medicine and have Fai drink the hot chocolate before it got cold, Kurogane brought a hand to the blond's feverish cheek and began to stroke it softly in order to wake him. After a moment, Fai moaned softly and reluctantly opened his eyes. He blinked up at Kurogane, apparently disoriented by sleep and his cold.

"…K-Kurochii…" he croaked, rubbing his eyes. "What are you…? …Oh, my head…"

"Hmph… Guess I should've known better than to take a wimp like you to the outdoor bath in the wintertime," Kurogane huffed, feigning annoyance as he brushed a lock of Fai's golden hair back from his burning forehead.

Fai smiled faintly. "Sorry, Kurorinta…" he said. "I suppose it p-probably wasn't such a good idea… f-for me to walk home after our date with wet hair, was it? …Ha-choo!"

Kurogane snorted and shook his head as he handed Fai a tissue. Fai coughed weakly and blew his nose.

"I brought medicine," the carpenter said, holding up the little bottle of red liquid he had bought from the potion shop. "It wasn't cheap, either, so you'd better appreciate it."

"I do, very much," Fai assured him. "Th-thank you, Kuroron."

"I brought hot chocolate, too," he continued, blushing. "Can you sit up?"

Without waiting for Fai's answer, Kurogane leaned down and scooped the fragile baker into his arms, wrapping him in two of the blankets to ensure that he stayed warm. Fai laid his hot cheek against Kurogane's chest as the carpenter measured out a spoonful of the medicine and tipped it down the blond's throat. Then he picked up the thermos of hot chocolate, removed the lid, and handed it to Fai. The blond took a sip and closed his eyes in relief as the warm liquid slid down his sore throat.

"I don't think… I've ever had this k-kind of hot chocolate before…" Fai commented.

"Of course you haven't," Kurogane replied. "It's my mother's recipe. She used to make it for me and Tomoyo when we were kids."

"It's yummy," Fai said, taking another drink. "Oh, but Kurokuro… d-don't you have to work today?"

"Well, thanks to a certain someone, I had no choice but to take the day off," he growled.

Fai was silent for a moment, blushing slightly, his heart warming immensely at the fact that Kurogane was willing to not only bring him medicine and homemade hot chocolate when he was sick but also to take a day off of work. "You're s-so sweet, Kuropipi…" he shivered. "Thank you."

Kurogane said nothing, but stoked Fai's hair gently as he drank his hot chocolate. As soon as Fai had finished, Kurogane took the empty thermos from him as the blond's head nodded tiredly against his chest.

"Mm…I'm s-starting to fall asleep, Kurochan…" Fai yawned. "Sometimes I… have bad nightmares when I have a f-fever, so… you'll h-hold me… while I take my nap, won't you?"

"Fine," Kurogane said, his face flushing as he cuddled Fai close.

"Thank you, Kurochuu…" the baker said as he closed his eyes. "You're always so… n-nice and gentle with me…"

"That's because I love you, idiot," Kurogane mumbled. Luckily, Fai was already asleep and didn't hear him. The carpenter graced his sleeping companion with a rare soft smile, kissing his cheek lightly and starting to stroke his hair again as he let poor, sick Fai rest.

* * *

_-Spring-_

"Oh, Kuronpyu!" Fai chirped as Kurogane walked through the door of the bakery. "Perfect timing; I just finished a new dessert I think you might like. It's my first time making it so I need someone to test it on."

"Get someone else," Kurogane grumbled. "You know I don't like sweet crap."

"You might like this, though," Fai insisted. "It's a dark chocolate cake so it won't be so sweet."

"Fine, whatever," he sighed as he sat down in his usual booth near the window. "But if you're just screwing with me to trick me into eating something gross, I'll kick your ass."

Fai laughed. "I wouldn't do something so mean, Kuromii! You know me better than that, don't you?"

"Hmph," Kurogane grunted doubtfully as Fai disappeared into the kitchen to get the carpenter's lunch.

Fai returned with a chicken salad sandwich, a bowl of udon noodles and a glass of ice tea as well as a plate bearing a slice of dark chocolate cake, humming as placed the items on the table in front of his customer. Kurogane frowned as sudden recognition flared up in his mind in response to the tune Fai was humming.

"What song is that?" he asked, picking up the sandwich.

"It's an old love song that my mother used to like," Fai replied with a hint of nostalgia. "Do you know it, Kuromyuu?

Kurogane shrugged nonchalantly. "Dunno. Sounds kinda familiar, though." This was an understatement. As Fai continued to hum, a rush of childhood memories came flooding back to him. Images of his eleven-year-old self and a four-year-old Tomoyo swam in his mind's eye…

"_Kurogane! Kurogane! Look what my teacher gave me for white day!" Tomoyo called excitedly, running up to him with a small, polished wooden box in her pudgy little hands._

"_What's that, a music box?" he asked._

"_Yeah, and it plays a really pretty love song," she gushed. "Listen!"_

_She flipped back the delicate golden clasp and opened the lid carefully so that they could hear the tinkling melody._

"_That's nice, I guess," Kurogane shrugged once the song had finished._

"_Mm hmm!" she agreed cheerfully, closing the music box again. "It would make a really cool buried treasure, don't you think?"_

"_Huh? Now you wanna bury it?" Maybe Kurogane just didn't understand the way girls' minds worked yet but that seemed like a really strange thing to do to a brand new toy that you liked as much as Tomoyo seemed to like the music box._

"_Yeah!" she squeaked eagerly. "Come on, Kurogane! Let's play pirates!"_

_Kurogane shrugged again. "Whatever. It's your music box."_

"_Help me make a treasure map, ok?!" she begged, pulling at the hem of her older brother's shirt._

"You like that song, huh?" Kurogane asked after Fai had repeated the song about five times.

"Hmm? Oh yes; it's one of my favorites," Fai answered with a small smile. "I heard it on the radio yesterday for the first time in years… It really brought me back!"

Kurogane dug into his udon noodles, making a mental note to pay Tomoyo a little visit to see if she still happened to have the treasure map they had made together all those years ago.

* * *

Kurogane leaned against his shovel, panting, and wiped the sweat from his brow. As it turned out, Tomoyo remembered exactly where they had hidden the treasure map: in a hole in a pine tree on the corner of their family's property. The paper they had made it on hadn't been in the best shape when they had found it, but luckily since they had written the directions in wax crayon, they hadn't been smudged or smeared. Kurogane was now in the small field off to the side of his family home, sifting meticulously through the dirt in search of the music box.

"Can't believe I'm actually doing this," he grumbled to his sister. "We were just kids when we made this map; there's a good chance it's not accurate. I could be digging in wrong spot altogether."

"You can't give up now, Kurogane!" Tomoyo urged. "You're doing it for Fai san, the love of your life! How can you expect to prove how deeply you love him if you can't even do something simple like dig up a music box?"

"Alright, alright!" Kurogane snapped, his face reddening as he reapplied himself to his digging. "I get it! And would you quit using that word?!"

"Which word would that be?" Tomoyo asked innocently. "Music box? Dig? _Love_?"

"Yes! That one!" he snarled, his blush deepening. "Cut it out!"

"What, am I embarrassing you?" she giggled. "My, my, Kurogane; twenty-six years old and you still get all flustered at hearing the word 'love'? That's a little immature, don't you think?"

"Shut up!" Kurogane howled. "If you're just gonna make stupid jokes then you can leave!"

"Poor Fai san," Tomoyo sighed. "It must be hard on him, being in love with someone so rude and childish."

"You little twit!" he snarled. "If you weren't my sister, I'd…Hey!"

"What, did you find it?" she asked eagerly, crouching down beside him.

Kurogane tossed aside his shovel and bent down to pull a filthy old shoebox from the earth. He ripped off the lid impatiently to reveal the music box inside. With trembling hands, he lifted the music box out and carefully undid the golden clasp so that the two of them could here its sweet melody once more. Only when he opened the music box, nothing happened. Frowning, he shut it and opened it again, but that, of course, didn't help.

"Dammit!" he hissed. "It's broken!"

"Hmm…" Tomoyo said thoughtfully. "Why don't you try taking it to Mihara san at the tool shop? He might be able to fix it for you."

Kurogane heaved a sigh. It looked like he wouldn't be giving the music box to Fai just yet; first he would have to go see that crazy bastard Mihara. The guy would probably make fun of him for wanting him to fix something girly like a music box, especially since it played a love song. With a feeling of dread and resign, Kurogane trudged back to town with the music box tucked under one arm.

* * *

"Well, well, well," Mihara said, grinning as Kurogane walked into his shop trying not to look as vulnerable as he felt. "If it isn't Kurogane. What can I do for you?"

"Need you to fix this," Kurogane grunted, shoving the music box across the counter at him without meeting his eyes. Mihara picked up the music box so that he could examine it more closely.

"A music box, eh?" he smirked. "Funny, I didn't really have you pegged as the music box-type. I mean, isn't this kind of sissy for a tough guy like you?"

"Spare me the commentary and fix it already," the carpenter growled. "Unless you can't do it."

Mihara bristled indignantly at the accusation. "Of course I can fix it! What kind of tool man would I be if I couldn't handle a job as simple as this?!"

_Yeah, you're a tool, alright, _Kurogane thought irritably, though he didn't say this out loud, figuring that it probably wouldn't do much to motivate Mihara to support his cause. Mihara mumbled to himself as he examined the music box's delicate inner workings, tightening a piece here, oiling a piece there. When he was finished, he closed the lid and opened it again to test his handy work. Kurogane's heart leapt as the familiar tinkling melody rose from it once again.

Mihara snorted in amusement. "Hey, this is a love song, isn't it? That's pretty cute."

"Shut the hell up!" Kurogane snapped, blushing as he threw a handful of coins at his face and stomped out of the shop.

* * *

"Hmm? Kurobun?" Fai said, his eyes widening in surprise as Kurogane entered the bakery for the second time that day. "You're back?"

Kurogane marched up to him, his face almost as red as his eyes, and thrust the music box out at him.

"Eh? What's this?" he asked, examining the music box curiously.

"Buried treasure," Kurogane mumbled.

Fai looked at him in puzzlement before taking the so-called treasure from him hesitantly.

"Open it," the carpenter ordered.

Fai opened the lid of the music box carefully. He gasped, his eyes sparkling with joy when he heard the love song begin to play. "It's that song…" he said slowly. "Are… are you giving this to me, Kurochan?"

"Hmph," Kurogane huffed, still refusing to meet his gaze.

"Thank you," Fai breathed, his face breaking into an absolutely breathtaking smile. "But why?"

Kurogane took a deep breath, forcing himself to look at Fai at last. He hesitated for a mere second before suddenly leaning forward and pressing his lips to the blonds in a soft, shy kiss.

"Any more questions?" Kurogane asked gruffly, folding his arms.

Fai stared at him for a moment in shock before smiling sweetly again and leaning across the counter for another kiss. "Nope!" he trilled happily. "That clears things up pretty well, I think!"

* * *

**A/N: **Aaaaand that's all she wrote. Don't forget to make a guess at which game this was based on. Happy speculating!


	36. Kitsch

**A/N: **Chic-ching! Thanksgiving break, baby! That means there's time for writing!

Right, so since there were two reviewers who basically tied in being the first to correctly complete the challenge that I gave in the last chapter, I let them both make a request. Here is my result for the request made by vanion. I don't want to spoil the effect of my beginning, so I'll tell you what the request was at the end of the chapter. For now, I'll start by defining "kitsch" as it is given by .

**Kitsch **/kich/ _n._ something of tawdry design, appearance, or content created to appeal to popular or undiscriminating taste; Sentimentality or vulgar, often pretentious bad taste, especially in the arts.

Right, enjoy.

* * *

**Kitsch**

He closed his laptop with a sigh, removing his headphones and rubbing his eyes tiredly. It was only ten, but he had been working on his latest novel since five that morning. Inspiration had seized him in the middle of the night and kept a tight hold on him all day long so that he could hardly force himself out of his chair to eat or use the bathroom. Even though he was still on a roll, his eyes were starting to burn from being glued to the computer screen for too long. The next chapter of his novel could wait until tomorrow; for now, he would take a bath and go to bed.

He headed towards his bedroom with the intention of grabbing some pajamas before starting his bath. As he turned into the hallway that led to his room, he noticed the light in his bedroom was already on. That was odd… he didn't recall having gone in there recently and he was pretty sure that it hadn't been on all day. _An intruder? _Kurogane wondered with a frown. _But what intruder would be so stupid as to turn the light on when the owner of the house was home? _

He could hear movement coming from within. There really was someone in there after all! The novelist edged into the kitchen and grabbed a steak knife before continuing toward his bedroom. After hesitating briefly outside the door, stealing himself for what could potentially be a fight to the death, he leapt into the room with a yell, holding his knife out in front of himself threateningly.

What he saw made him shout in surprise and abruptly drop his knife. There was his neighbor, the beautiful blond man from next door, kneeling in front of his dresser, his hair dripping wet, wearing only a towel around his slender waist. Judging by the way the drawer was hanging open, he had been digging through it, presumably looking for some clothes that he could borrow, when Kurogane had shouted.

"Goodness," Fai laughed, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw his neighbor standing there. "You startled me! I wasn't expecting you to appear so suddenly!"

"Wh-what the hell are you…?!" Kurogane sputtered. His face was a brilliant shade of scarlet.

"I guess you're probably pretty surprised to see me here, too, though," the blond admitted, rubbing the back of his neck in mild embarrassment. "Sorry; I forgot to tell you I was coming.

The dark-haired man was too shocked to do anything but stand there and stammer stupidly.

"Wow, your heart sure is pounding loudly!" Fai noted with a grin. He got to his feet and crossed the room to where the other man was standing, frozen in shock. "I can hear it from all the way over here! I hope you don't mind me coming over to use your bath like this, but I'm having some work done on mine…Does it make your nervous to see me like this?"

Kurogane's face was beet red. He had always prided himself on being professional and composed, no matter what role he had to play, but this was the first time he had ever had to do anything like this. Admittedly, he was a bit nervous (this being, of course, the understatement of the century). His throat was dry and his hands were sweaty and his heart was beating so fast that he thought it might burst. But he had to say something. "I, uh…"

The blond's hand drifted up to touch his companion's chest absentmindedly, his smile widening mischievously. "Or are you just excited?"

Kurogane swallowed hard, trying to calm himself. "Excited…? Yeah, I…I guess you could say that," he mumbled. He had to try hard not to grit his teeth, knowing that it would be apparent in his speech if he did. And like hell he was going to do this part over. "To tell the truth, though… my heart… isn't the only part of me that's excited."

"Oh?" Fai said innocently. "I wonder what part that could be…"

Kurogane choked on his next line for a moment, trying to force it out, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Finally, he ripped off his headphones and threw his script on the floor, turning his back on the suspended microphone. "Screw this!" he snarled. "I've had enough humiliation for one lifetime! I'm out of here!"

"You just get your cute little seiyuu butt right back over to that microphone, Kurogane," the director, Yuuko, ordered with a self-satisfied smirk. "You've already signed the contract and it's legally binding. That means no walking out on the job."

"YOU TRICKED ME INTO SIGNING THAT FUCKING CONTRACT, DAMMIT!!" he roared, his hands curling tightly into fists at his sides. "I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SIGNING ON TO WORK ON AN ACTION/ADVENTURE ANIME!! YOU SAID NOTHING ABOUT THIS KIND OF SHIT!!"

"I admit that I didn't say anything about boy's love, but action/adventure is a pretty vague term," Yuuko pointed out amusedly. "Adventure can refer to anything that's exciting, and your character was about thirty seconds away from getting some action. I would say it was your own fault that you ended up in this situation. You're the one who didn't mention that there were certain roles that you weren't willing to play. An experienced voice actor like you ought to know better."

"DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO PIN THE BLAME ON ME!!" Kurogane howled. "THIS SCRIPT IS NOTHING LIKE THE ONE YOU SHOWED ME AT THE PRELIMINARY MEETING!!"

"I told you it was still under revision," she shrugged, not looking the least bit guilty.

"THIS IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM THAT SCRIPT!! IT'S NOT EVEN THE SAME CHARACTERS!!" Then he glared over her shoulder at Fai who was trying rather half-heartedly to stifle his laughter. "AND YOU!! QUIT LAUGHING, YOU BASTARD!! THIS ISN'T FUNNY!!"

"I just think it's cute how shy you are!" Fai giggled. "I mean, it's not as if you actually have to do anything with me; you just have to say the lines. The next part is mostly just grunting and panting, and there's plenty of that in action/adventure anime, right? It's just in a different context here, that's all."

"Don't be a dumb ass!" Kurogane snapped, his face still red. "They're nothing alike! Besides, even if I _could_ delude myself into thinking that these two types had anything in common, I still don't want my name associated with an anime like this!"

"Use a fake name in the credits," Fai suggested coolly.

"People would still recognize my voice, moron!" he scoffed. "I've only been in about a fifty different series!"

"I know," the blond sighed dreamily. "Kurotan is such a talented actor… And popular, too! You get a ton of fan mail!"

"Not as much as you, Fai," Yuuko chimed in helpfully. "You're probably the hottest voice actor in Japan right now! And not without reason, of course. You play every part so perfectly!"

"Oh, you flatter me, Yuuko san," Fai grinned, his cheeks going slightly pink with pleasure.

"That's why I knew I had to have you in this anime," she continued excitedly. "I told the script writers to write the part of our sweet little blond uke Masaki with you in mind!"

"You mean… you had this part written just for me?!" Fai gasped, his eyes sparkling.

"Of course!" Yuuko gushed. "Isn't it perfect?!"

"You two can continue your little tea party without me; I'm out of here," Kurogane grumbled, heading for the door of the recording booth again.

"Not so fast," Yuuko said sharply, grabbing him by the back of his collar and nearly choking him. "Just because you threw a little temper tantrum, doesn't mean you're released from the contract. If you don't want a lawsuit on your hands, you'll get back to that microphone right now."

Kurogane's whole body quaked with fury and he mentally cursed himself for ever even considering her when she had offered him the part. There had been stories floating around his acting school about the infamous (though, admittedly, wildly popular) director/producer Yuuko and her underhanded trickery in getting actors to play parts they hadn't agreed to, and that was five years ago that he had been in school. But he had thought that he would be safe from her tricks if he just made her show him a copy of the script. Boy, had he ever been wrong.

"I still don't understand what you're so upset about, Kurogane," Yuuko commented as he stomped reluctantly back to the microphone. "Yukage is a great character, complex and charismatic with plenty of emotional depth. Pulling off a tough role like this will only increase your popularity as an actor."

"If you like this guy so much, why don't _you_ play him?" Kurogane grumbled, picking up his script from where he had thrown it on the floor.

"But my voice isn't deep and manly enough," Yuuko said with another one of her trademark smirks. "As sexy as he is in appearance and personality, he just won't have the same impact if he doesn't have a nice, sexy voice to go along with it."

"Hmph," Kurogane snorted doubtfully.

"Besides," she continued, "you and Fai have such wonderful chemistry together. You two make almost as great a couple on screen as you would off screen. I think you two ought to hook up."

"You really think so, Yuuko san?" Fai asked with feigned shyness.

"Of course!" Yuuko chirped. "You'd be beautiful together! You two already know each other pretty well, right?"

"Well, we _did_ go to the same acting school and took a lot of classes together," Fai admitted slowly, as if he was seriously considering her proposition. "Kurosama and I have worked on a few of the same projects, too. And we're neighbors! Sometimes Kuropon even invites me over for tea!"

"Oh really?" Yuuko asked with a sly grin in Kurogane's direction. "I didn't know about that little detail. You two are practically a couple already!"

"D-d-don't be stupid!" Kurogane stammered, his blush returning in full force. "He invites _himself_ over! A-and anyway, I don't bat for the home team!"

"Why are you getting so red, then, I wonder?" Yuuko asked, her grin widening. "Could it be that you really _do_ have feelings for Fai?"

"Sh-shut the hell up!" he snarled. "Even if I did, which I _don't_, it would be none of your damn business! Now, are we gonna get this damn thing over with or not?!"

"Goodness, so eager all of a sudden," Yuuko laughed. "Alright then, from the top, you two."

* * *

"What's wrong?" Kurogane asked worriedly. "Why are you so quiet?"

"I wouldn't say anything was _wrong_, per se, but…" Fai trailed off.

"…Was I really that bad?" he mumbled, flushing.

"No need to sound so worried, Yukage chan," Fai laughed. "I just can't believe it… Could this have been your first time?"

"Don't be stupid!" Kurogane snorted. "Of…of course not!"

Fai giggled triumphantly. "It really was, wasn't it?"

"S-so what?!" Kurogane growled defensively. "You got a problem with it?!"

"No," the blond sighed, nuzzling against his dark-haired partner affectionately. "In fact, it… it makes me really happy. I'm glad that you saved your flower for me, Kurotan…"

Kurogane snatched his script off of the stand in front of him and whipped it at Fai's face, his own face brilliantly red once more. "You said my real name, dumb ass!"

"Ah ha ha! Did I really?" Fai laughed in embarrassment, his cheeks going pink. "Whoops!"

"Oh my," Yuuko said, her trademark sly grin creeping onto her face once more. "Could that have been a little Freudian slip just now, Fai?"

"I wonder…" he replied thoughtfully, still smiling at his mistake.

"WH-WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!!" Kurogane demanded, stomping his foot like a spoiled child. "IF YOU'RE GOING TO SPACE OUT AND HAVE WEIRD-ASS FANTASIES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RECORDING THEN JUST GO HOME!! AND KEEP ME OUT OF THEM, DAMMIT!!"

"But I can't help it, Kuropuu!" Fai whined, hugging him and snuggling his cheek against the taller man's chest. "You're just so handsome!"

"Hah?!" Kurogane squawked indignantly, attempting rather half-heartedly to pry the blond off of him.

"I knew it!" Yuuko squealed in delight, clasping her hands together. "You have a huge crush on Kurogane, don't you, Fai?!"

"Shh!" Fai said, putting a slender finger to his lips as his grin widened. "That kind of thing is supposed to be a secret, Yuuko san!"

"Would you morons quit talking about me like I'm not here?!" Kurogane snapped. "You're pissing me off!"

"I don't suppose you really _are_ a virgin, are you, Kurogane?" Yuuko asked curiously.

"TH-THAT'S NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!!" he raged, his face redder than a tomato.

"He totally is!" Yuuko hooted, laughing as she clapped her hands in sheer glee. "Isn't that sweet?!"

"Saving yourself for someone special, are you, Kuropiko?" Fai asked softly, his eyes sparkling.

"This has nothing to do with anything!" Kurogane snarled. "Get serious or I'm going home."

Yuuko heaved a sigh. "As much as I hate to admit it, Kurogane has a point. I want to get this scene finished this evening and we still have a ways to go. I'd hate to have to keep us all here all night."

Kurogane shook his head in exasperation as he turned to face the microphone again.

"Now since we've stopped already anyway," Yuuko said, pushing her reading glasses a bit further up the bridge of her nose so that she could see her script properly, "I'd like to go back to the part where Yukage confesses his love to Masaki. The first run seemed a little too stiff, thanks to a certain _someone_." She glanced pointedly in Kurogane's direction. Kurogane glared back at her mutinously, but held his tongue, just wanting to get this humiliation over with. "So let's try it again from there, alright?"

* * *

"No…" Kurogane said, his teeth gritted. It took all his resolve to resist the half-naked blond's advances, but if they were going to take things to this level, this wasn't how he wanted it to happen.

"But…why?" Fai asked, sounding hurt. "Have I been reading the signs wrong all this time? Is this not what you want?"

"Of course this is what I want," the dark-haired man growled. "I've never wanted anything so badly in my whole life."

"Cut!" Yuuko interrupted.

"What?! Why?!" Kurogane demanded, looking up from his script furiously.

"I don't believe you," she said calmly. "You're supposed to sound resolute but conflicted and instead you're just coming out sounding constipated."

"I AM NOT!!" he roared.

"Tee hee hee! Kurowanko sounds constipated!" Fai giggled.

"Shut up you!" Kurogane spat.

"Let's do that line again."

"Of course this is what I want," the dark-haired man growled. "I've never wanted anything so badly in my whole life."

"Then…" Fai began, but Kurogane cut him off.

"But I don't want us to enter into this kind of relationship lightly," he continued. "If we're going to do this, I want more than just your body. I want… your heart, too."

"Cut!" Yuuko said again. "Don't pause in the middle of that line, Kurogane. Your words won't match up with the animation otherwise."

"It's such a stupid, sappy line," Kurogane groused, running a hand backwards through his hair. "Can't you change it?"

"No," Yuuko replied bluntly. "It's sweet and romantic and I like it, so it's staying. Now try that last bit again."

"Dammit," Kurogane grumbled.

* * *

"I want your heart, too."

"Yukage san…" Fai breathed. "I…"

"You won't do it, is that what you're going to say?" he asked coldly, turning his back on the other man. "Then get out."

"No, no!" Fai said quickly. "That's not what I was going to say at all! I just… I've never had anyone say that to me before…"

"Well, I refuse to be just another one-night stand." He turned back around to face the blond, his eyes somber and determined. "If you do this with me, you're agreeing to stay with me…for good."

"You really mean it, Yukage san?" Fai asked quietly.

"Of course I mean it. I......"

"Cut!" Yuuko shouted. "No trailing off! Do it again!"

"Of course I mean it. I…love…"

"Cut! No pausing! Do it again!"

"Of course I mean it. I love you."

"Cut! Too quiet! Do it again!"

"Of course I mean it. Iloveyou."

"Cut! Too rushed! Again!"

"Of course I mean it. I l-love you."

"Cut! No stuttering! Again!"

"Dammit! I quit!" Kurogane snarled.

"Cut! No quitting! Again!"

"Kurochii sure is having a hard time with such a simple line," Fai remarked with a good-natured smile.

"Well, it would be a simple line, if Kurogane wasn't so emotionally emasculated," Yuuko sighed teasingly.

"I AM NOT, DAMMIT!!" Kurogane raged, balling his hands into fists at his sides.

"No?" she asked doubtfully. "Then what's the problem?"

"It's…" Kurogane paused and looked away, his cheeks blazing. "It's too weird saying this kind of thing to another guy."

"You mean you feel awkward confessing to Fai in front of me," Yuuko chirped.

"WR-WRONG!!" he snapped.

Fai smiled at Kurogane as he and Yuuko argued, staying out of it for once. As unlikely as he knew it was, Fai wished Yuuko's joking suggestion could be right. When he saw Kurogane's reaction, he couldn't help feeling just a little bit hopeful.

* * *

"Stupid bitch, keeping us here so late," Kurogane growled as he pulled on his coat. He glanced up at the illuminated clock on the wall of the darkened studio. It was almost midnight.

"Well, maybe if Kuropin would've just said his lines and not made such a fuss we could have finished sooner," Fai pointed out lightly, wrapping his scarf around his slender neck.

"Shut up," he said half-heartedly, too worn out from his humiliating vocal performance to get as worked up as he might have usually. "You're not seriously putting all the blame on me and letting that woman off the hook scot-free. There's no reason why we couldn't have finished it tomorrow."

"Maybe you're right," Fai agreed. He followed Kurogane outside into the freezing January night, still fishing around in his pocket for his gloves.

"Oh, my gloves are gone," he pouted. "I must've forgotten them at home…"

"Stick your hands in your pockets, then, if they're cold," Kurogane suggested gruffly, not looking at him.

"But I only have one pocket and it's on the inside of my coat," Fai said. "Mm, my fingers are already starting to go numb."

"If you're trying to get me to hold your hand, then forget it," the dark-haired man replied shortly. "What if that bitch sees us and thinks we really are a couple?"

"It's pretty dark out, though," Fai noted. "I really don't think anyone would notice."

Kurogane said nothing, so Fai decided to try slipping his hand into his to see if it would be accepted. To his surprise, Kurogane's fingers closed hesitantly around his chilled hand. Fai smiled to himself. Even though his other hand was still unprotected, having Kurogane holding one hand made his whole body feel warm. The two of them walked in companionable silence for a few blocks as they headed towards their apartment complex.

"Hmm… I was thinking about making some pasta when I got home since we didn't get much of a break for supper during the recording," Fai said, breaking the silence at last. "Would you care to join me, Kuropyon?"

Kurogane considered him for a moment. "Fine," he agreed. "I haven't been grocery shopping in a while so it's not like I've got anything better to eat at home."

"Yay!" Fai cheered, hugging the other actor's arm. "Dinner with Kurotan!"

Kurogane rolled his eyes and shook his head in exasperation with the other man for getting so excited over something so trivial, but secretly he couldn't help being just a little flattered. When they arrived at Fai's penthouse apartment, the blond reached into the pocket on the inside of his coat and dug out his key to unlock the door. The two of them paused to remove their shoes and hang up their coats in the entryway before the blond led the way to the kitchen. Kurogane had been there numerous times in the past but he still couldn't help feeling a little awkward about being in Fai's kitchen. Fai began to hum as he dug out the ingredients and set them on the counter.

"You want me to do anything?" Kurogane asked, hoping that being active would help dispel some of the awkwardness he was feeling.

"Ooh, so polite, Kurochan," Fai giggled. "I didn't think you had it in you!"

"Shut up!" he snapped. "If you're just gonna make jokes, I'm going home!"

"Relax, Kurowanta," Fai said soothingly. "I was just having a little fun with you. Let's see, what can you help with… Hmm, how are your dicing skills? You could chop up the coriander."

"Can't you just buy it already ground?" Kurogane asked, frowning.

"Yes, but it tastes so much better when it's fresh," Fai explained. "Here, I'll get you a knife and a cutting board and you can start washing the coriander leaves."

Kurogane went to the sink obediently.

* * *

"Finished!" Fai chirped proudly as he set the completed dish on the table. "Hyuu! It smells great!"

"Hn," Kurogane agreed.

"Just a minute; I'll go get some wine to go with it!" Fai skipped off to the kitchen and returned with a bottle of authentic Italian wine and two delicate glasses. He set one glass on the table in front of Kurogane and one in his own spot. Kurogane frowned when he noticed how Fai's place setting had mysteriously moved so much closer to his than where he had put it when he had set the table, but opted not to say anything. Fai seemed to noticed this because he flashed him an appreciative smile as he sat down in his chair. After he had served both of them, the blond picked up his fork.

"Itadakimasu," they said together.

"Mm!" Fai sighed happily after tasting some of their pasta. "It tastes just as good as it smells! I didn't expect Kurorin to be such a good cook!"

"You have to know how to cook if you're gonna live by yourself," Kurogane grunted. Admittedly, though, he was quite surprised at how well the meal had turned out himself. There was another pleasant silence between them as they enjoyed the fruit of their combined efforts.

"Today's recording was pretty tough, wasn't it?" Fai asked, breaking the quiet again. "Yuuko san is a tough director!"

"More like a slave driver," Kurogane grumbled. "I can't believe I was careless enough to let myself get into this mess."

"You've never been in a boys' love anime before, have you, Kurokuro?" Fai grinned.

"Damn right I haven't," he said, his cheeks flushing a little. "What self-respecting man would willingly put himself through this kind of torture?"

"Hmm, but I've done a few of them before," the blond told him.

"Tch. I know," Kurogane sneered, though for some reason, he wouldn't meet Fai's eyes as he said this. "I'd ask you if you had any pride in yourself as a man if it was anyone but you."

"Eh? How did you know I'd done boys' love before?" Fai asked, genuinely surprised.

"I…I just…!" Kurogane stammered, his blush deepening as he realized his careless mistake a little too late. "I could tell by the way you played the part today, that's all!"

"Why are you getting so red?" Fai pursued, curious and amused at the same time. "Don't tell me Kuromyuu's a closet boys' love fan!"

"Of course not, you bastard!" Kurogane snarled. "That's…! I would never…!"

The blond scanned his flustered neighbor with his sharp blue eyes. Somehow, he sensed that Kurogane was telling the truth when he said he wasn't a closet boys' love fan. The source of his embarrassment had to be something else, then. Before Fai could venture anymore guesses, Kurogane polished of the last of his wine and pasta and hurriedly gathered his dishes for washing. Fai smirked to himself as he watched Kurogane disappear into the kitchen and turn on the water as he rinsed his plate. He finished off the last of his own pasta and joined him at the sink.

"Would you like to watch some anime before you go back you your apartment, Kuropipi?" Fai asked pleasantly, acting as if he had completely forgotten their previous conversation.

Kurogane snorted. "Your collection is probably full of a bunch of shoujo and that boys' love crap."

"I think you'd be surprised, Kuromin," Fai grinned. "I've got a few series that I think you might find interesting."

Kurogane clicked his tongue doubtfully but he couldn't help being just a little curious now. "Let's see it, then."

The smaller man led him into the living room and opened the tall side cabinet on his wooden entertainment center. Kurogane's jaw dropped when he saw the sheer size of his collection. There had to be nearly a hundred DVDs tucked away in there! Sure, it wasn't as big as his own collection, but he had never known that Fai was such an anime fanatic. He supposed he ought to have guessed, what with Fai being such a huge name in voice acting and all.

"Impressed, Kurorinta?" Fai asked pleasantly.

"Hmph," Kurogane grunted, frowning as he leaned in to study the actual titles on the DVDs. His frown deepened as he progressed. He not only knew every one of the titles…

"…These are all ones I've done voices for," the dark-haired man realized. Fai owned every single series Kurogane had ever acted in, even the really obscure ones and ones where he had only had bit parts. "And these…" His scarlet eyes rested on a collection of about twenty or so DVDs that had been set apart in a special place of honor. "These are all the ones we worked on together."

"You noticed, huh?" Fai said softly. He laced his fingers with Kurogane's. "It's true… I've been following your career pretty closely the whole time."

Kurogane looked away in silence, his cheeks starting to burn again.

"It wasn't cheap," Fai admitted. "Kuropyun's such a popular actor who's acted in so many series…It was worth every yen, though." The blond looked over at him curiously when Kurogane didn't say anything. "Is something wrong, Kurowanko?"

"…I did the same thing," he mumbled.

"Hmm?" Fai said, puzzled.

"…I've got all your DVDs, too. Every damn one."

Fai stared at him in shock, his eyes wide. "Really? …But why?"

"Why do you think, moron?" Kurogane growled, staring determinedly at the floor. "Same reason I couldn't say that stupid line in front of that witch today. Same reason I didn't try harder to get out of my contract for this damn series when I found out you were the other lead. Same reason I agreed to eat with you just now, why I have such a hard time looking you in the eye, why I'm letting you do _this_," he said, squeezing Fai's hand in his lightly.

"Kurochuu…" Fai breathed. "You mean, you…"

"…Yeah…" Kurogane turned his head abruptly, and in one smooth movement, lifted Fai's chin and pressed their lips together. The blond drew a shuddering breath against Kurogane's mouth, freeing his hand from the other man's so that he could wrap his trembling arms around Kurogane's shoulders. Kurogane pulled the two of them backwards, heading blindly for the couch and letting Fai push him down onto it as he deepened the kiss. They were so wrapped up in each other that they could scarcely bring themselves to make brief, minute separations for the sake of breathing. Fai didn't pull away from the dark-haired man until his mouth was too tired to continue any longer.

"…Yeah…" Kurogane repeated breathlessly, stroking Fai's golden hair. "I love you. Moron."

* * *

**A/N: **Ah… was that ok? The request was "Kurogane and Fai as BL seiyuus (Boys Love vocal actor)." I hope this satisfied you, vanion, and all you other readers, too, of course. And to Roxie Archer, the other reviewer who made a request, don't worry; I haven't forgotten about you. I'm just having a ridiculously hard time figuring out what to do with Fai's back story. Roxie Archer's request was as follows: "I like elves. So could you write an AU where Fai is an elf, please. A place where different races and cultures clash, where Fai finds himself in Kurogane's world of humans who don't always accept other races. For Kurogane, it's a bit of a culture shock; Fai has his own ways and mannerisms and a past he won't talk about but Fai gets to him, as Fai always does, and before long he is important to Kurogane. How, exactly, Fai and Kurogane cross paths I leave up to you. But please something with a happy ending and a little drama." Being the nerd/perfectionist/loser I am, I've spent literally hours and hours wading through Nordic, Swedish, Germanic and Russian folklore, researching how elves are traditionally portrayed… Anyway, just know that I haven't given up and that I'm working hard on it. See ya'll later!


	37. Venerable

**A/N: **Right, so… I'm back, this time bearing Christmas fluffies. I know it might be a bit early, but that's alright. I'm actually quite proud of myself for doing this because I usually lack the foresight to produce in-season holiday-themed works but this time I thought of it ahead of time. Hurray! And for those of you who, like me, are sick to death of Christmas fics involving mistletoe, take heart! I didn't resort to such clichés this time (unlike the, ahem, last Christmas fic I wrote way back in '06). Double hurray!

Dictionary. com says: **Venerable **_/vénərəbəl/ adj._ **1 **impressive or interesting because of age, antique appearance, etc. **2 **extremely old or obsolete; ancient. **3 **a venerable person.

Oh, and another quick note for those who don't study Japanese: jiisan and jiji both mean something like "grandpa" or "old man". Just thought I'd clear that up before I started.

* * *

**Venerable**

Kurogane sighed irritably and lowered his magazine when the pair of eager blue eyes that he had felt watching him intently for the past few minutes continued to burn into the side of his head. Fai was perched, monkey-like, on the arm of the couch. When the gym teacher looked at him, he smiled in what he clearly hoped was a jaunty, winning manner. In reality, the only thing it was winning him was Kurogane's intense desire to punch him in the face.

"What the hell are you looking at me like that for?" Kurogane demanded. "If you want something, then say so. Don't waste your time sitting there, grinning like a dumb ass and waiting for me to notice you."

"Kuropii," Fai said in his sweetest, most persuasive voice, "it's snowing outside."

"Tch. I'm not blind, moron," the dark-haired man snarled. "I can see that."

"Isn't the snow pretty?" Fai continued, hopping down from the armrest and onto the couch cushion next to his companion. "Doesn't looking at it make you want to go outside and…"

"No," Kurogane interrupted bluntly, turning back to his magazine as if the matter was irrefutably closed.

"Eh? But I didn't even tell you what I wanted yet!" the chemistry teacher pouted.

"You don't have to," Kurogane snorted. "I already know I'm not gonna like it."

"But I wanna go outside and play!" Fai complained. "It's boring staying cooped up inside all day!"

"Go outside, then!" the gym teacher snapped. "I'm not stopping you!"

"But I want Kurosama to come with me," he begged, giving Kurogane his best puppy face.

Kurogane immediately turned his head away, knowing that if he looked into Fai's eyes, he would find himself bending instantly to the slippery blond's will, whether he wanted to or not. As much as he hated to admit it, he was no match for Fai's wide, pleading, sparkling blue eyes and his curled, trembling lower lip. Every time Fai made that face, Kurogane could never help bringing a hand to Fai's soft, pale cheek, kissing his perfect silken mouth and then proceeding to do whatever the other man asked of him. Fai knew all of this, naturally, and that was why he used this tactic. Never once had it failed him. As hard as Kurogane tried to resist, he always looked eventually, and when he did, not only did Fai get a kiss but he also got his way.

Kurogane could feel his head starting to turn back in Fai's direction, seemingly by supernatural force. He clamped his eyes shut determinedly but Fai purred and nuzzled against him cajolingly. The same force that had caused Kurogane to turn his head in Fai's direction was now prying apart his eyelids. Fai was right there in the gym teacher's face, his perfectly schooled puppy expression waiting to greet him. Kurogane all but pounced on him, pinning the slender body to the couch as he kissed him hungrily. Fai returned the kiss without complaint. His smile brightened when Kurogane reluctantly heaved a sigh and helped the blond to his feet so that the two of them could get their coats, gloves and scarves on.

"Hyuu! I'm so excited!" Fai chirped, bouncing eagerly on the balls of his feet. "I haven't been outside to play in the snow in such a long time!"

"Me neither," Kurogane muttered sullenly. "Not since I was a middle schooler."

"_That_ long ago?!" Fai yelped, sounding thoroughly scandalized. "Poor Kurochii! No wonder you're so grumpy all the time!"

"That's got nothing to do with it, idiot," Kurogane snarled as he pulled on his boots.

"Sure it does," the blond insisted. "If you never let yourself have fun, you'll turn into an old man way before your time. Everyone knows that, silly Kurotan!"

"I'm _not_ turning into an old man!" Kurogane snapped.

"No?" Fai asked with a grin. "Wasn't it just earlier this school year that you stuck your head out the window and yelled at some kids to get off your lawn?"

Kurogane flushed slightly. "Their massive dog was about to take a shit in my yard! Do you have any idea how much that would suck to step in?!"

"Either way, Kuropon, that's one of the tell-tale signs that you're becoming an old man," Fai told him amusedly. "Plus you like to ramble on about the war. Face it, Kuro-jiisan, you're about two years away from people starting to call you 'grandpa'."

"I'm in the army reserve, dumb ass!" the gym teacher reminded him acidly. "Of course I'm gonna talk about war! Anyway, who are you to talk, you bastard?! You're even older than I am!"

"Well, if you don't wanna get old and wrinkly at age twenty-six, you're gonna have to learn how to have a little fun once in a while," Fai said easily, ignoring Kurogane's point about him being older. He finished dressing in his winter clothes and looked expectantly over at the other man. "Ready?"

"Hmph," Kurogane grunted irritably. Fai giggled and took his colleague's hand as he threw open the front door and led him outside. Once the door was closed behind them, Fai sighed happily and hugged Kurogane's arm.

"Isn't it beautiful?" he asked softly. "I love snow, especially right before Christmas like this."

Kurogane remained silent, though he had to admit that he could kind of see where Fai was coming from. There was certainly something nostalgic about the first snowfall of the year arriving so close to Christmastime. Fai looked up at him with a sweet smile.

"Wanna build a snowman?"

Kurogane rolled his eyes but allowed himself to be pulled farther from the house and out onto the thick blanket of fresh snow. Fai dropped to his knees and began to gather the snow into a ball.

"Come down here and help me, Kurokuro," the chemistry teacher requested. Kurogane squatted down beside him reluctantly and began helping him pack the snow.

"We have to build the tallest one we possibly can," Fai said, rounding the edges on their snowball. "Let's try to use all the snow in the whole front yard."

"Are you serious?" Kurogane growled. "That'll take all day!"

"Are you in a hurry to get somewhere, Kuropyon?" the blond asked with a smile. "We've got all the time in the world, right? It _is_ Christmas break, after all."

Fai had a point; Kurogane's agenda for the day was completely blank. And if truth be told, he had been trying to think of some way to hint to Fai that he'd like to go on a Christmas date with him without actually coming out and saying it. Even though the two of them had been an official couple for about three months already, he still had a hard time being open with his feelings towards him. Of course, it didn't help that every time he tried, Fai would tease him for being shy or cute. This setup actually worked out quite well for him.

It took a surprisingly short amount of time for them to get a snowball so big that Kurogane had to help Fai push it around the yard in order to build it up larger. By the time they had finished with the bottom segment of the body, it was almost as tall as Kurogane. Fai wiped the sweat from his brow and flopped down on the ground on his back for a rest.

"Hyuu, that was hard work!" he panted as Kurogane plopped down beside him. "Look at how big it is, though! This is going to be the biggest snowman I've ever seen!"

"Yeah, that thing'll probably still be around in June," Kurogane agreed, surveying their work-in-progress with apparent disinterest.

"Let's make snow cream when we're done," Fai suggested, stretching his arms above his head luxuriously.

Kurogane's face contorted in disgust. "Are you freaking serious? Don't you know how disgusting snow is with all the pollution and crap?"

Fai shrugged. "I ate it all the time as a kid and I haven't died yet," he pointed out lazily. "It'll be fine; don't be such a worrywart."

"Who's worried?" Kurogane replied defensively, sitting down on the ground beside Fai. "Anyway, it's been ages since you were a kid; pollution's worse now than it was back then."

"It hasn't been _that_ long," Fai pouted, tugging Kurogane down on to his back so that they two of them were lying side-by-side, staring up at the gray winter sky. "I'm only thirty. Oh, but Kuropin is probably just trying to get me back for when I called him a grandpa before, right?"

"Hmph," Kurogane grunted. The blond giggled, turning his head so that he could rub their chill-flushed noses together in a playful Eskimo kiss. Kurogane rolled his eyes and moved in for a proper kiss, tangling his gloved fingers into Fai's snow dampened blond hair.

"Ooh, your lips are cold, Kurochuu," Fai noted softly with a smile. "If we're not careful, we might just freeze together like that."

"That's impossible, moron," Kurogane growled, kissing his mouth again. Fai sighed happily once they broke apart and eventually sat up.

"Why don't we keep going on Snowman san?" he suggested, brushing the snow off of his pants as he stood up and offered his hand to help Kurogane to his feet. "He still needs a head, after all."

"Yeah, yeah," the gym teacher grumbled. He bent down reluctantly to begin gathering snow to form the head when he felt two cold hands rest themselves unexpectedly on his butt cheeks and squeeze lightly. Kurogane squawked indignantly and straightened up, spinning around to glare at the blond with blazing red eyes. Fai giggled unconcernedly, only succeeding in making his lover even angrier.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Kurogane hissed dangerously, trembling with barely suppressed rage.

"Nothing," the chemistry teacher chirped. "Just giving Kurokuro's cute little butt a bit of encouragement, that's all. You presented it so nicely, I just couldn't resist."

"JUST BECAUSE WE'RE DATING DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO GROPE ME WHENEVER YOU WANT!!" Kurogane roared, his cheeks blazing.

Fai arranged his face into a very convincing impression of genuine puzzlement. "It doesn't?"

"NO!!" the dark-haired man raged.

Fai blinked a few times and tilted his head as if he was thinking. "Then… _why_ am I going out with Kurotan again?"

Kurogane didn't even dignify that question with a verbal answer; he just scooped up a large handful of snow, packed it deftly into a ball shape and whipped it at the blond's forehead.

"Ouchy!" Fai whined, though he couldn't conceal his laughter any longer. "How mean, Kuropyun! That was way too hard!"

Kurogane threw another snow grenade which exploded against Fai's chest.

"Help! Someone!" Fai called, squealing with delight as he scampered away from a furious Kurogane. "The big mean doggy is attacking me! Help! Domestic abuse!"

"I'll show _you_ domestic abuse!" Kurogane snarled, tackling Fai to the ground once more (though he made sure to cushion Fai's head with his arm so that he wouldn't hurt himself as he fell). He stuffed a handful of snow down the front of the slender blond's shirt, muffling Fai's shrieks of laughter with another rough kiss.

* * *

"See? I told you I wasn't an old man," Kurogane said smugly, holding Fai's delicate hand as the two of them trudged, cold and wet, back to the house.

"I guess not, huh?" Fai grinned, hugging his boyfriend's arm joyfully. "Kurochan still remembers how to play after all."

"Damn right, I do," the gym teacher smirked, tilting Fai's chin back gently with the intention of kissing him again, but to his surprise, the other man stopped him.

"Not a good idea, Kurowanwan," Fai advised with an apologetic smile. "My nose is running from being out in the cold for too long. Plus my lips are starting to get a little bit chapped."

"Tch," Kurogane scoffed, digging into his coat pocket and fishing out a tube of chap stick which he tossed to Fai. The chemistry teacher caught it and applied it gratefully to his stinging lips as Kurogane ushered him inside.

The two of them removed their damp coats and Fai came over to nuzzle Kurogane tiredly. Kurogane frowned slightly as he took the slim, shivering body into his arms and held him tight, worry flaring up in his chest when he felt how chilled Fai's skin was. He repositioned his arms, trying to warm Fai's insubstantial form with his own body heat. Kurogane touched his lips lightly to the bright pink rim of Fai's ear. He snorted when Fai yawned and laid his head against his chest.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Kurogane growled. "Don't tell me you're tired! It's only four in the afternoon!"

"I'm sorry…" Fai said quietly, rubbing his eyes. "…Maybe _I'm_ the old man here, huh?"

Kurogane rolled his eyes and snorted doubtfully. "You're more like a little kid than anything else." The gym teacher considered him thoughtfully for a moment. "Maybe you had another nightmare last night."

The chemistry teacher allowed a small smile to find its way onto his slightly chapped lips.  
"…I can't hide anything from you, can I, Kurowanta?"

"I told you to let me know when that happens, idiot," Kurogane growled softly, something akin to muted hurt and disappointment in his crimson eyes. "And don't even waste your breath trying to tell me that you forgot. You may be immature but I know you're not stupid."

Fai smiled sadly at him again in an attempt to at least ease the pained look on his lover's face. "Kurorin just looks so sweet and peaceful when he's sleeping that I can't bring myself to wake him…"

Kurogane let out a quiet growl as he swept Fai off his feet, drawing a surprised squeak out of him, and deposited him on the couch. Fai watched the dark-haired man inquisitively as he stomped off to their bedroom and returned with a small, round, thin, gift-wrapped package in his hand. He dropped it in Fai's lap and folded his arms, looking away stubbornly as Fai turned the present over in his hands.

"What's this, Kuromyuu?" the blond asked curiously.

"What's it look like, dumb ass?" Kurogane grumbled, still not meeting his eyes. "Your Christmas present. Or one of them, anyway."

"But Christmas isn't until tom—"

"I _know_ that, but if you're gonna insist on being a moron and not tell me whenever you've had a nightmare, then I feel like I should at least give you this."

Fai unwrapped it slowly and stared at the unfamiliar object in his hands. It appeared to be a hard, tea saucer-sized ring with string crisscrossing through the middle of it in a shape that was vaguely reminiscent of a poinsettia. Strings of leather hung from the bottom of it, terminating in beads and feathers. Fai tilted his head questioningly as he looked up at Kurogane, waiting for him to explain.

"It's a dream catcher," Kurogane mumbled. "There's an old Native American belief that bad dreams have jagged edges, so if you hang one of these near your bed the nightmares will get caught in the strings in the middle and won't be able to reach you. I don't know if it'll actually work or not, but…"

Fai's smile returned, this one more authentic. He adored the shy pink blush that had crept onto Kurogane's cheeks and he knew that his embarrassment was due in part to the fact that he felt stupid admitting that he put any stock in old superstitions like this one. The other part was probably because the reason he had decided to take his chances with superstition was that he was concerned about the beautiful blond's wellbeing. Fai took Kurogane's hand and persuaded him to sit beside him on the couch so that he could sit on his lap and touch a tiny kiss to the spot where Kurogane's ear met his jaw bone.

"Hmm, leave it to Kurojiji to know all about old legends," the chemistry teacher breathed teasingly against Kurogane's skin.

"Fine! If you don't want it, then I'll give it to someone else!" Kurogane huffed, his face reddening further.

Fai laughed softly at the other man's embarrassment and stroked his blushing cheek lovingly. "No need to get so defensive, Kurorun; I was only joking. I love it. Thank you."

"Hmph," Kurogane said grumpily, nuzzling his nose into Fai's blond hair. "Did I tell you that those things were traditionally only used for children?"

Fai laughed again and flicked Kurogane in the forehead playfully. "Are you trying to keep this fight going, Kuropii?"

"No, but like hell I'm gonna let you have the last word," the gym teacher replied obstinately, shifting Fai so that he could cradle him in his arms like an infant.

"Stubborn old man," Fai grinned.

"Insolent child," Kurogane growled. Their good-natured insults gave way to a smooching cuddle fest rather than further argument. They only broke apart when the two of them yawned almost simultaneously. Fai's expression became one of lethargic amusement.

"What's this? Is Kurotan sleepy, too?"

"Must've rubbed off from you," he grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

The blond smiled and kissed his forehead. "How does a nap sound? That's something that old people and little children both enjoy."

Kurogane sneered at his suggestion, but after a moment he got to his feet and stomped off to their bedroom. Fai watched him go curiously, wondering what his lover was up to. He smiled when Kurogane returned, carrying their couple-sized futon and several fleecy blankets which he spread out in front of the Christmas tree. The gym teacher gathered Fai into his arms and brought him over to their love nest where he set him down carefully. Kurogane turned off the overhead lights and pulled the shades so that the room was lit solely by the red and white bulbs on the tree. Fai sighed happily as he draped himself with a warm blanket and snuggled into Kurogane's embrace.

"I hope Santa Clause will still come with us sleeping in front of the tree like this," the blond mumbled tiredly against Kurogane's chest.

Kurogane clicked his tongue in exasperation at this statement, though he couldn't resist smiling slightly at Fai's childish comment. He did his best to keep his eyes open, wanting to watch the sweet, slender blond fall asleep in his arms. His efforts were fruitless, however. Fai's warmth and closeness and the light, pleasant scent of peppermint in his silky hair quickly lulled the crimson-eyed teacher to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: **Merry Christmas (or whatever equivalent holiday you celebrate), everyone! (P.S. I'm still working on that request about the elves; I swear. I've even made a bit of progress since the last chapter I posted.)


	38. Foment

**A/N: **Ta-da! Finally, the first chapter of the story I promised Roxie Archer! It's about time, huh? Sorry it took so long, but planning the plot for this story has given me some major ouchies on my brain. I went through so many ideas and did so much research… I just hope this doesn't disappoint!

Roxie Archer was one of the two winners of the reader challenge and therefore was allowed to make a request. The request is as follows: "I like elves. So could you write an AU where Fai is an elf, please. A place where different races and cultures clash, where Fai finds himself in Kurogane's world of humans who don't always accept other races. For Kurogane, it's a bit of a culture shock; Fai has his own ways and mannerisms and a past he won't talk about but Fai gets to him, as Fai always does, and before long he is important to Kurogane. I think I actually wanted the light and fluffy parts drabbled throughout so that they stand out more, are more appreciated, you know? So that their relationship isn't taken for granted. (not "drabbled" as in 'not many of them' but not so much that it's all fluff and nothing else.) The light and fluffy parts further the plot by furthering their relationship. And then not so much plot that it takes the focus away from their relationship. I wanted the state of the world to be apparent and to affect them but the story to be about Kuro and Fai who live in that world. More, maybe, drama and mystery with underlying angst than actually dark. How, exactly, Fai and Kurogane cross paths I leave up to you. But please something with a happy ending and a little drama."

I rewrote this chapter at least five times before I came up with this version, so I hope this turned out alright. Since the request is a bit involved, it looks like this will be my next mini-series endeavor. Ok, definition time, provided by :

**Foment **[foh-_ment_] –verb **1** to instigate or foster (discord, rebellion, etc.); promote the growth or development of: to foment trouble; to foment discontent. **2** to apply warm water or medicated liquid, ointments, etc., to (the surface of the body).

Enjoy!

* * *

**Foment**

"That's enough for today," Kurogane grunted to his two employees. "I'll finish the rest; you guys can go."

"Are you sure, Kurogane san?" Syaoran asked. "We haven't fed the chickens yet."

"And the horses still have to be brushed," Watanuki added.

"I said I'd take care of it," Kurogane said, folding his arms stubbornly. "You guys are probably going to the Martinmas feast (1) in town tonight, right? If you don't leave now all the good food'll be gone by the time you get there."

"Aren't you going?" Watanuki asked. "The fast starts tomorrow, you know."

Kurogane snorted. "I don't do that fasting crap. It's a waste of time. If you don't eat right, you won't have enough energy to work."

"I guess so…" Syaoran agreed hesitantly.

"Get going, then," the older man urged.

"Thank you, sir!" the two boys said gratefully, bowing.

Kurogane huffed and rolled his eyes as his two young employees scampered off into the deepening darkness. With a sigh, he headed off toward the chicken coop. He paused when he saw his dog, Inuki, sniffing curiously at the air just inside the fence.

"Inuki," Kurogane said warningly. Inuki sniffed the ground around the fencepost, pacing back and forth, then turned his nose to the air again and growled. "Inuki!"

It looked like that crazy dog of his was planning to jump the fence. Surprisingly, Kurogane didn't really feel like forcing his way through waist-high grass to chase after him. Inuki was a pretty disciplined dog, so he must be catching a whiff of something pretty interesting for him to ignore Kurogane's orders so blatantly. Kurogane went over to shoo his dog away from the fence but before he could reach him, Inuki leapt over the fence and bounded through the tall grass, barking wildly.

"Dammit, Inuki!" Kurogane snarled, tearing after him. "Inuki! Oi! Get back here!"

Inuki continued to ignore him, barking loudly, excitedly. It wasn't until they reached the edge of the field that the dog finally shut up in favor of sniffing something on the ground eagerly.

"Stupid dog," the dark-haired man grumbled, approaching his pet with the intention of grabbing his collar and dragging him back home. Then he frowned. What was that thing lying on the ground up ahead? It didn't look like a rock, or a clump of leaves. Actually, it looked a bit like an animal, perhaps a dog or a stray sheep… or maybe even a person; it was too dark to be sure. It was lying perfectly still, leading him to believe that it was either seriously injured or dead. He approached it curiously.

As he got closer, Kurogane realized that the figure was, in fact, human, though the lighting was so poor he couldn't tell whether it was male or female. He dropped to his knees beside the figure and lowered his ear to their chest. The person was breathing, but it was pretty faint. Kurogane cursed under his breath and gathered the slender, shaking body into his arms. Inuki yipped excitedly and tried to jump and give the person a warm, doggy welcome which would involve much sniffing and licking. Kurogane swatted at the dog impatiently.

He started when his fingers found a warm and wet area on the body and he shifted the person's weight onto one arm so that he could examine his hand. It was covered in a dark, slightly sticky liquid. If there had been enough light, he suspected he would have found the stuff to be red. Kurogane cursed again. This person was in bad shape; if he didn't do something quick, there was a good chance they would die. Holding the delicate figure in his arms as carefully as he could, Kurogane continued on towards his home as fast as his legs would carry him.

* * *

It wasn't until Kurogane reached his house, started a fire in the grate and lit a few candles that he realized the extent of the person's injuries. The clothes were extremely tattered, revealing horrible, bloody welts all over the place. It looked as though the wounds had been inflicted mainly with a whip, though there were also a stunning number of bruises which may have been caused by stoning and Kurogane was pretty sure the person's arm was broken. Inuki scratched and whined outside the front door, scandalized that Kurogane was trying to keep their new guest all to himself.

The dark-haired man carefully brushed aside the person's golden hair (which was also bloody in some places) to study the face. He had to admit that he was stunned as he viewed the lovely fair skin and elegant features. Yet even now that he was getting a good look at the person's face, he still wasn't completely sure whether he was looking at a man or a woman. Still cradling the battered figure carefully, he dug his spare futon out of the closet and unrolled it in front of the fire, covering it with towels to protect it from bloodstains. Kurogane laid the person down carefully with a sigh. It looked like he would need to warm up some water; if he didn't clean and dress those wounds, they would get infected for sure. What a hassle. Kurogane went back outside and shooed Inuki away from the door so that he could draw water from the well in his yard.

Once the water had been brought to a suitably warm temperature, he brought a bowl and rag over to his patient's bedside and began to carefully unbutton the torn shirt so that he could better access the injuries. Kurogane's eyes widened slightly in surprise when the shirt was removed, revealing the flat chest of a man. The person was so beautiful and petite, he had been almost certain that it was a woman. He shook his head slightly; this was no time to let his mind wander. Kurogane dipped the rag in the warm water and began to gently clean away the blood.

The dark-haired man had seen his share of fights, but this was the first time he had ever seen someone with such severe wounds. This guy must have pissed off the wrong people pretty badly. As he worked, Kurogane tried to guess what the other man might have done to incur such wrath. Perhaps he had been accused of witchcraft. No, that couldn't be it; if that was the case, whoever had done this to him would have made absolutely certain that he was dead before leaving him. Perhaps he was a thief. But if that were true, he would most likely be in jail after his beating. Perhaps he had gotten a little too fresh with a nobleman's daughter… or son, even. If his looks were anything to go on, Kurogane wouldn't have been too shocked if the guy turned out to swing the other way. It was a possibility, he decided.

Kurogane was still deep in speculation as he began to wash the blood from the man's soft blond hair, so when he felt something long and soft and pointed on the side of his patient's head he hardly noticed at first. It was pressed against his hand for as long as five minutes before he pulled out of his musings enough to wonder what exactly he was touching. Kurogane frowned slightly as he separated the hair carefully. When he realized that the long pointed thing was the man's ear, he started so violently that he upset the bowl of water. Shit! This guy, this _thing_… was an elf!

Kurogane's stomach churned with revulsion, shock and outrage. Elves… what a disgusting race! Thanks to them, his family had been torn apart, and yet he had been so _stupid and blind_ as to _rescue_ one from outside, bring it _into his house_ and begin to _care_ for it and clean its wounds! The thought filled him with an almost blinding rage. Well, now that he had realized his mistake, he had no choice but to correct it; this foul creature would have to die. And once he was done killing it (which he would do with great enjoyment) he would sterilize himself the best he could, burn the futon it was lying on and the rag he had used to wash its injuries and have the local priest come and perform a cleansing ritual on his house as soon as possible.

The dark-haired man marched over to his kitchen area and seized his sharpest knife. He knelt down beside the thing and raised his knife, ready to put it out of its misery. Just as Kurogane was about to plunge the blade into the elf's heart, some distant memory from his childhood stirred in the back of his mind, causing him to hesitate. The memory in question was of a lesson at school when they had discussed elves. It was rare that Kurogane remembered things that he had learned in school so long ago (especially since he had spent more time doodling and making paper airplanes than actually listening) but for some reason, something was suddenly coming back to him.

There were two kinds of elves: light elves and dark elves. Light elves were beautiful, with fair hair and skin; they were guardians of nature and were usually benevolent (unless you did something to anger them). Dark elves had dark hair and eyes and performed even darker deeds. The dark elves were the ones who stole human children and replaced them with changelings, and brought sickness and death to humans and livestock.

Kurogane's eyes scanned the elf before him, taking in the pale skin and blond hair and lowered his knife slowly. This elf was clearly one of the light variety; there was no mistaking it. He was not part of the evil race that was responsible for what had happened to Kurogane's family. Kurogane's instincts told him to kill the thing anyway. The only good kind of elf, in his book, was a dead elf.

Then again, he had also heard tales throughout his life of people who were blessed with good luck for helping an elf. Heaven knew he could use a bit of good luck. Hesitantly, Kurogane got to his feet again and put the knife away so that he could return to treating him. He supposed that he would take care of the elf for now, but he would definitely be using his day off tomorrow to go talk to someone with more experience in these matters to make sure he was remembering his facts correctly.

* * *

A low, quiet sound awoke Kurogane in the middle of the night. It sounded like it was coming from somewhere near the fireplace where the elf was resting. He rubbed his eyes and hauled himself out of bed to check out the situation. The fire he had built in the grate before bed had died down to mere embers, but the dark-haired man could see that the elf still hadn't opened his eyes, though he was moaning and stirring restlessly. Kurogane reached out and touched the blond's face and sighed when he realized that his patient had a high fever. It was probably his body's way of dealing with the shock of the abuse it had been forced to deal with.

Kurogane retrieved a cool, damp cloth and spread it out on the delicate elf's burning forehead. The elf jerked when the wetness touched his skin, causing Kurogane to also start in surprise. His patient made a blind grasp in Kurogane's direction, catching hold of his strong, calloused hand. The slender, bandaged fingers gripped it weakly, and the touch seemed to calm the elf because he began to breathe a little easier.

Kurogane felt slightly awkward with a total stranger holding his hand in the middle of the night in almost total darkness, but he dealt with the mild discomfort for the elf's sake. The guy had clearly been through hell already and Kurogane figured that the least he could do was allow him this little bit of comfort. He reached up with his other hand and brushed the blond bangs aside carefully, his hand skimming one of the elf's long, pointed ears. He frowned slightly when he felt something cool and hard there that he hadn't noticed earlier.

Kurogane ran his fingers over it. It was too dark to see, but it felt like an odd sort of earring. His fingernail found a couple fine grooves in it. There was probably something engraved in the metal. Kurogane was prevented from further examination when the elf flinched away from the hand at his ear and shuddered. It seemed that he didn't like having his earring touched. The dark-haired man reluctantly drew his hand away. When it seemed that the elf had calmed down sufficiently, Kurogane carefully set down the hand he had been holding and returned to his own bed.

* * *

Kurogane stopped outside his front door, folding his arms and glaring at Yuuko as she paused to scratch Inuki behind the ears. Nothing pained him more than having to bring that stupid bitch into his house but he simply couldn't think of anyone who might be more knowledgeable. As a witch, and therefore, as Kurogane had so tactfully put it, "a weird-ass magical creature", it was only logical that she would know a thing or two about other "weird-ass magical creatures". Besides, as much as Kurogane hated to admit it, she seemed to know about pretty much everything else under the sun. She ought to be able to help him figure out what to do about the elf.

Normally, those who were suspected of witchcraft were dealt with swiftly and severely, but Yuuko had proven herself highly useful to the king and villagers (not to mention clever enough to outwit anyone who might try to do her in for being a witch) and was allowed to stay. That was why he had brought her to his house. He hadn't had any medication to use on the elf's wounds when he had doctored them the previous night and with the way things were going, it looked like the blond might die if he didn't do something. He had been sweating buckets when Kurogane had checked on him that morning. Plus Kurogane didn't know how he was supposed to get him to eat when he hadn't even regained consciousness yet, and the guy didn't look like he could afford to miss any meals.

"Well, what are waiting for?" Yuuko asked. "Let me in."

"Hold it, you," he growled. "Lazy bastard hasn't opened his eyes yet and by the looks of things he needs the rest. So you better be quiet while we're in there. Don't go waking him up."

Yuuko pinched his cheeks and stretched them in punishment. "How rude! Here I am, coming all this way just to help you out of the goodness of my heart and you speak to me as if I'm some delinquent child!"

Kurogane swatted her hands away angrily. "Don't give me that 'out of the goodness of your heart' bullshit! You're charging me a whole freaking cow worth of salted beef for this!"

"That included the price of the medicine, too, you know," she reminded him sharply. "This medicine isn't easy to produce. Quit making me out to be so stingy when I'm giving you a discount."

"A discount?!" Kurogane howled. "That's practically a whole month of food! How the hell is that a discount?!"

"If you'd rather ask someone else for help, then by all means, go ahead," Yuuko suggested with an evil grin as she poked him in the chest.

Kurogane gritted his teeth, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. Both of them knew that wasn't an option. Plus, the fewer people that found out he was harboring an elf, the better. Elves were generally feared and despised by most people. "Hmph. Just don't wake him up, that's all."

"It seems to me that you're the one who's most likely to wake him up with that uncontrollable temper of yours," she jibed as he opened the door to let her in. He wanted to snap back at her but that would only prove her point so he simply glared at her.

Yuuko crossed the room to the elf's side in four graceful strides and knelt down beside him so she could begin to examine him.

"He's in bad shape," she said quietly. "If you hadn't picked him up last night, he would probably be dead by now."

Yuuko lifted her gaze to meet Kurogane's eyes with the barest hint of a smile on her face. "I'm a bit surprised, to tell the truth. Considering your personal experience with elves, I would have thought that you would have finished him off rather than bringing him inside and trying to help him get back on his feet again."

"Hmph," Kurogane grunted. "If I'd known he was an elf when I saw him lying there, I might have killed him. But he's a light elf, right? So he's not on of the guys responsible for what happened to me."

Yuuko watched him in thoughtful silence for a moment. "I see…" She lowered her eyes to look at the elf again, took one of his slim-fingered hands and carefully unwrapped the bandages to reveal his palm. "You reached that conclusion even after seeing this?"

Kurogane frowned as he knelt down beside her to have a closer look at the elf's hand. When he saw the odd, bat-shaped mark there, he felt as though his heart might have stopped. "That mark…!" he choked, the blinding rage that had seized him when he had realized that his patient was an elf filling him once more. "She…_that thing_ from before had one just like it!"

"So you didn't notice it, then?" Yuuko asked calmly.

Kurogane didn't answer; he just got to his feet to retrieve his knife again, meaning to finish the elf for real this time.

"Just a moment, Kurogane," she said in such a sharp voice that even Kurogane, who was deep in the depths of torment and rage over having seen that blasted mark, paused to hear her out. "Look at the mark a bit more closely. It's different than hers."

Kurogane returned to her side and forced himself to look at that cursed thing one more time. Now that he was looking at it properly, he realized that the witch had a point; it was a little different than the one he had seen before.

"Dark elves are born with this mark on them," Yuuko explained. "This elf's mark has been burned into his skin by a branding iron."

Kurogane was silent for a moment as he tried to figure out the significance of this information. "Meaning what?" he asked.

"To say that I know of his precise circumstances would be a lie," she admitted. "However, I can offer you my expert opinion. For a dark elf to brand a light elf, whom they envy and despise with their entire being, with the mark of their species, which they take so much pride in, they must have considered him to be theirs."

"If you have a point, then make it," Kurogane snarled dangerously.

Yuuko looked briefly exasperated at his slowness. "You are a farmer, are you not? What does it mean when a farmer brands one of his cattle?"

"…It means he owns it," he replied thoughtfully. "So then this guy was like a possession to those twisted bastards?"

"That would be my guess," she confirmed. "Now that you are aware of the connection between this child and the dark elves, do you still wish to help him?"

Kurogane thought about this for a moment. "Hmph. Looks like both of us have been exploited by those dark elf assholes."

"So you will continue to take care of him, then?" Yuuko asked.

"Yeah," the dark-haired man decided. "Maybe I can get some information out of him about those guys."

"Very well." Yuuko turned her attention back to the injured elf and continued to examine him. "He's nearly dehydrated. It looks like it's been a while since his last proper meal, too. He's too weak to feed himself; you'll have to do it for him."

Kurogane stared at her blankly. "How?"

"You'll probably have to chew his food up for him and spit it into his mouth," Yuuko shrugged.

Kurogane choked. "H-hold on… I must've heard you wrong. You want me to _what_?!"

"I said 'you'll probably have to chew his food up for him and spit it into his mouth'," she repeated. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Are you kidding?!" he hissed, trying to express his indignity yet simultaneously keep his voice down. "That's disgusting! It's like I'm kissing him and barfing into his mouth at the same time!"

"It's either that or he dies of starvation," Yuuko pointed out. "If you wish to save this child, you need to be willing to take the necessary steps. You don't have to do the same thing to get him to drink; you can just help him sit up and tip some water down his throat. Besides," she grinned, "at least he's good looking, right?"

"Tch! Like that has anything to do with it!" Kurogane spat, his flushed face revealing the fact that he secretly agreed with her.

"If you say so," she smirked knowingly. "Just so you know, most elves don't care much for meat so it's best to feed him mainly fruits and vegetables."

"Doesn't matter what he likes if he's unconscious," Kurogane mumbled.

"Now for the medication," Yuuko continued, acting like she hadn't heard him. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a bottle of medicate lotion which she pressed into Kurogane's hand. He looked at the bottle in disgust. It was tall, slender, pink and sparkly. The dark-haired man was pretty sure he'd rather do the kiss/barf thing with the elf then let anyone catch him with this stupid bottle in his possession. Ok, maybe not, but he was still highly displeased.

"Couldn't you have picked a bottle that was a little less…sissy?" he asked in revulsion.

"What was that?" Yuuko asked airily. "I couldn't hear you because you were mumbling."

Kurogane gritted his teeth again in frustration, knowing that if he repeated it any louder he risked waking the elf.

"That medicine needs to be applied to his injuries every day for the first week when you change his bandages. Make sure that you wash all his wounds with warm water before applying it," she instructed. "After the first week, you can cut down on it. Three times a week should be good enough. By that time, you won't have to wash his wounds anymore. If you do everything right and give him food and drink regularly, he should regain most of his strength by the end of the second week."

"I have to keep this shit up for two freaking weeks?!" Kurogane hissed in outrage. "I don't have time for that! It's blood month!" (2)

"I'm sorry to hear that, but if you want him to get better, then that's what you'll have to do," Yuuko said bossily.

"What a pain in the ass," he huffed. "All this work for a damn elf… I better get a pretty freaking huge pot of gold for this."

Yuuko giggled. "Leprechauns," she said.

"Hah?"

"Leprechauns do the pot of gold thing; not elves," she corrected him, getting to her feet as she prepared to take her leave.

"Whatever," he muttered disinterestedly as his guest opened the front door and stepped through it. Yuuko was just about to close the door behind her when she remembered something and looked at him over her shoulder with a smug little smirk. "Oh, and you'll want to give him food and water as soon as possible. Good luck!"

Kurogane replied with a very dog-like snarl as she waved cheekily and closed the door with a little snap. Once she was gone, he heaved a sigh and looked down at the petite elf, scratching the back of his head awkwardly as his face grew hot. He knew that he was being a bit stupid about this whole feeding business. Obviously, the elf needed food and water in order to live and he had accepted the role of caretaker when he had picked him up the previous night. Besides, the elf was unconscious and there was no one else around to witness the feeding. Telling himself these things didn't stop his face from burning and his stomach from filling with butterflies at the thought of doing what Yuuko had described.

Kurogane went to his kitchen area, trying to decide what would be best for their first meal together. The elf was pretty weak, so it should probably be something that was easily digested. That ruled out meat, then. Fruit would most likely be his best bet, and maybe some bread. Kurogane cut a small piece from the long loaf of bread sitting out on his counter and selected two of the peaches that Syaoran and Watanuki had picked from the trees on his farm the previous day and brought them over to the elf. He had been planning to sell those peaches but he figured he could spare a few.

Kurogane set the things down on the floor and, with all the care he possessed, scooped the elf into his arms. This drew a small moan of protest from the other male as his wounds were disturbed by the movement. Kurogane allowed him to rest his head against his shoulder and eased his patient's mouth open, his heart pounding almost painfully against his ribs. His hands shook as he picked up the piece of bread, took a small bite and proceeded to feed the blond. Kurogane did his best not to think about what he was doing as it made his skin crawl, but thanked god that at least the elf was swallowing it easily enough. He didn't know what he would have done if he'd found out that the blond wasn't even capable of doing that much.

Once the bread was gone, he moved on to the peaches. Kurogane bit into the first one and almost spat it back out again. It had been such a long time since he actually ate a peach that he'd forgotten just how sickeningly sweet they were. He clamped his eyes shut against the revolting sweetness and forced himself to bear the flavor for the blond's benefit. While Kurogane was trying not to gag, the elf seemed to like the peaches far more than the bread. He opened his mouth on his own to accept the fruit and swallowed it eagerly. Fortunately, the blond's cooperativeness allowed Kurogane to finish feeding him the stuff much more quickly.

As soon as it was over, Kurogane carefully laid the elf down again and leaned back against the wall with a sigh, trying to restore his heartbeat to its normal pace. To be completely honest, that could have gone a lot worse. He could have found out the hard way that elves couldn't stomach human food, or the elf could have woken up in the middle of the feeding process. Really he ought to consider himself lucky that nothing like that had happened. Not only that, but the beautiful elf's lips had been pleasantly soft and warm (not that Kurogane had tried to let their lips touch, but it had happened accidentally a few times). Kurogane groaned and smacked his head against the wall in punishment for allowing himself to even think such a thing.

Well, as long as he was already next to the elf and had time, Kurogane figured that he might as well apply the medicine and change his bandages. Remembering Yuuko's instructions on how to doctor the wounds, Kurogane drew some water from the well and started a fire in the grate so that he could heat it. As he was waiting for the water to heat up, he sat beside his patient and parted the hair that obscured his left ear, wanting to have a closer look at the earring he had noticed there last night. It was an unusually wide gold band, about a fourth of an inch in width, with the number 200 engraved in the metal and next to it was that hideous bat-shaped mark again.

Kurogane ground his teeth at the sight of the mark. It had been quite a while since he had last seen it, maybe ten years or so, but no matter how much time passed, he doubted he would ever forget that symbol. He had been on the lookout for anyone who bore it ever since, but he had never really expected to see it again. Considering the circumstances in which he had encountered that mark, Kurogane seriously doubted that this elf had been through exactly the same thing that he had but he was willing to be that whatever happened to him had been just as bad, if not worse (though Kurogane wasn't sure that was possible).

He shook his head, trying to free himself from the grip of the painful memories that were bubbling to the surface of his mind and threatening to overtake him as he removed the pot of water from the fire. The dark-haired man scooped some of the warm water into the basin, retrieved the rag and loathsomely girly bottle containing the medication and sat at the elf's side, gently removing his clothing to expose the injuries.

As Kurogane began to wash the wounds, he noticed yet another unusual thing about his patient. In addition to the outrageous number of gashes and bruises he had now, there were also many older scars covering his delicate back and shoulders. Kurogane traced one lightly with his fingertip, drawing a weak shiver from the feverish elf. Apparently, this wasn't his first time being whipped. Judging by the fact that some of the scars looked older than others, it would seem that this was a rather frequent occurrence for him. What in the world had happened to this guy? Realizing that the only way that he would ever know for sure was to help him get better so that he could ask him, Kurogane uncorked the medicine bottle and began to dab it on.

* * *

"Oi, it's break time, you two," Kurogane said to his two farmhands.

Syaoran and Watanuki both sighed and trudged out of the barn after their boss, following him to the well for a drink of water.

"What's up?" Kurogane asked gruffly, noticing that the two of them seemed unusually dispirited.

"Eh?" Syaoran squeaked, starting in surprise. "Oh, n-nothing!"

Kurogane narrowed his eyes suspiciously and turned his gaze to the slightly older boy.

"Well?" he prompted.

Watanuki looked uncomfortable, knowing that his boss would probably scoff if he told him what was bothering them. But with the way Kurogane was looking at them, Watanuki figured he would be even more irritated if they acted like nothing was wrong.

"Er… It's not a big deal or anything," the bespectacled boy said. "We just don't like blood month very much."

Kurogane snorted as he dropped the bucket into the well. "Guess you picked the wrong job, then."

"Oh no, we like our jobs just fine!" Syaoran assured him. "It's just this part; it's kind of…"

This time, Kurogane was silent. He understood what they meant; they liked caring for animals and not killing them. He had gotten that vibe from them when he had first met them and that was the reason he had chosen to offer them jobs on his farm. Kurogane couldn't exactly mock them for displaying the qualities that had caused him to hire them in the first place.

"Well, if we didn't do it this way, they'd die of slowly of starvation," Kurogane explained grimly. "At least this is quick and painless… Dying a slow, painful, drawn-out death is the most degrading thing that can happen to a living creature."

His voice was so dark and bitter when he said this that it startled the two boys.

"Kurogane san…?" Syaoran said softly.

"Anyway, you two better hurry up and eat if you want to be able to finish before break's over," Kurogane mumbled, turning his back on them as he went into his house to have his own lunch and give the elf his. The two boys looked at each other in puzzlement. Usually, the three of them ate lunch together but it seemed that their conversation just now had somehow touched a sore spot in the older man. Syaoran and Watanuki sat down against the well in a depressed sort of silence and began to eat their lunches.

* * *

Kurogane heaved a sigh as he locked his front door behind him, separating himself from his two younger employees. Why did it seem like all of a sudden so many of his painful memories had been forced to the forefront of his mind again? He rested his forehead against the cool wood of the door, closing his eyes as he tried to get a hold of himself. The elf needed to be fed, and he could use some food for himself as well. Kurogane glanced in the elf's direction with a slight frown.

Although the elf was clearly starting to regain his strength, he still (at least to Kurogane's knowledge) hadn't opened his eyes yet. Kurogane had never looked after someone who was in such bad shape before, but this struck him as odd. It had been twelve days since he had taken the blond into his care. Shouldn't he have woken up by now? Perhaps Kurogane wasn't doing everything right after all. Well, for right now all he could do was feed him. He could go ask Yuuko's advice again once he was done with work. The dark-haired man went to get some carrots and peaches for the elf's lunch.

That was when he heard something unexpected; some rustling, a quiet yawn and a small groan. Kurogane whirled around and started violently when he saw the elf sitting up and stretching his battered arms gingerly above his head. His patient was awake at last. The elf rubbed his eyes sleepily.

"Mm, that sure was a nice nap!" he said lightly, acting as though he had merely nodded off for an hour or two rather than having been in a deep sleep for almost two full weeks after having just barely escaped death.

All Kurogane could do was stare stupidly.

"Good morning," the elf chirped at him with a sunny smile. "Are you the one who's been taking such good care of me these past couple of days?"

Kurogane nodded wordlessly, wondering how this guy could possibly be so cheerful and at ease in his situation.

"Thank you very much!" the blond trilled. "I really appreciate your help; I sure would have been in a pinch if it weren't for you!"

"'In a pinch'?!" Kurogane sputtered. "You nearly died, you idiot!"

"Ah yes, sorry about that," he grinned, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "But I think I'll be alright now, thanks to you! Why don't you come a little closer so I can see your face?"

"Tch. I thought elves were supposed to have stronger senses than humans," Kurogane sneered.

"Hmm, normally, yes," the elf agreed, still grinning. "But I'm afraid I'm still not fully recovered yet. I guess being asleep for so long must've made my eyes a bit weak, hmm?"

Kurogane snorted derisively and came over to kneel at his patient's bedside. The elf rubbed his eyes again and looked upon the face of his rescuer for the first time. Apparently, something about Kurogane's appearance startled him because he jumped in shock and his grin vanished immediately. Kurogane was a little indignant. He never put much effort into his own appearance, but he had always thought of himself as being pretty decent looking. He admitted that many people probably considered him to be rather intimidating but surely this guy was taking things just a little too far. The elf looked like he was suddenly on the verge of tears. Kurogane was surprised, therefore, when he reached out with his delicate, slender, bandaged fingers and touched his cheek gently.

"K-Kurosama…Kurogane…" the elf choked. "I…is that really you?"

"Huh?" Kurogane said numbly, his own eyes widening. What was going on here? How had that elf known his name? Was this some kind of joke or something? Judging by the mixture of shock, pain and hopefulness on the blond's face, it seemed that it was no joke. "Well, yeah, that's me, but…"

"Kurosama!" The elf suddenly launched himself at his caretaker, wrapping his arms around him in a hug and burying his face in the crook of his neck. "Kurosama… I…I've missed you so much!"

* * *

**A/N: **(1) Martinmas- a medieval holiday which involves a feast before a forty day fast in honor of St. Martin. Although this is technically a Christian holiday, I didn't intend for it to have any religious connotations here.

(2) Blood month- November; so called because by this time of the year, it was usually too cold for farmers to continue growing feed for their animals so they were forced to slaughter them and cure, salt or smoke the meat at this time so that they would be able to sustain themselves and their families through the winter.

Phew! That was hard work! There's just one major element of the story that I haven't decided yet, and that is whether Fai's past will be something for the two of them to actively confront or if the climactic conflict will come from somewhere else. The way I've set it up, it looks like I may have to have them face it head-on but I want to know what you all think I should do with it. Please leave your thoughts in a review ;)


	39. Leery

**A/N: **Nnngh… no like.

* * *

**Leery**

"Kurosama!" The elf suddenly launched himself at his caretaker, wrapping his arms around him in a hug and burying his face in the crook of his neck. "Kurosama… I…I've missed you so much!"

Kurogane was frozen stiff with shock as his patient nuzzled him almost desperately. What did the elf think he was doing?! Surely they hadn't met before or Kurogane would remember. But if they hadn't met before, the how could the elf have known his name? Judging by the way the elf was hugging him, he had no such uncertainties about whether they had met before. Slender, bandaged fingers slid into his hair and gently touched his ears. Suddenly the elf paused and pulled away a little, a slight frown of puzzlement on his beautiful face. Wordlessly, he began to trace the outside shells of Kurogane's ears with a sort of slow deliberateness. When he reached the rounded tops, Kurogane heard him gasp ever so slightly. The blond touched them again, as if checking to make sure his first assessment had been correct.

Apparently, his examination was finished because he slowly let his hands fall to his sides. Even though Kurogane was a bit disturbed and thoroughly confused by what had just taken place, he couldn't help feeling just a little bit sorry for the guy; after all, the look on his face suggested that his whole world had just been crushed. The elf removed himself from Kurogane's lap and retreated to his futon again.

"What the hell just happened?" Kurogane demanded, folding his arms.

The elf started as if only just remembering that the Kurogane he had just thrown himself on was capable of speech as well. For a moment, the two of them just stared at each other in silence, Kurogane waiting for an answer to his question and the elf trying to figure out what his response should be. Then the blond hurriedly arranged his face into an apologetic smile.

"Ah ha ha…Welcome home," he grinned.

Kurogane stared at him in disbelief, waiting for more of an explanation but nothing further was offered. "Are you freaking kidding me? 'Welcome home'? If you think that bullshit response is enough to cover for all that, you've got another thing coming."

"But I was lonely in here all by myself," the blond explained. "I'm just happy to see you, that's all! And I never expected my rescuer to be so handsome… I guess I got a little carried away."

"Like hell," Kurogane growled, though he couldn't help blushing just a little at being called handsome by the exceedingly gorgeous elf. "That still doesn't explain why you molested my ears. Try again, dumb ass, and make it the truth this time."

"But it _is_ the truth!" his patient insisted, still smiling that infuriating smile that Kurogane was already starting to hate. "And I touched your ears because they looked so cute and soft!"

"So how did you know my name, then?" Kurogane asked dangerously, not buying the elf's explanation so far for a minute.

"Oh, right!" the elf said, snapping his fingers. "My name; I haven't introduced myself yet, have I? My name is Fai. Fai D. Flourite. You can just call me Fai, though. And I'll call you Kuropin. Or Kurotan. Or Kurorin… Or—"

"Number one," the dark-haired man interrupted angrily, "you're not gonna call me any of those stupid names or I'll kick your ass. And number two, quit trying to change the subject! If you think a weak diversion like that is going to distract me, you must be even dumber than you look! Enough screwing around, answer the damn question!"

Fai didn't seem at all phased by Kurogane's temper. He simply smiled and gave his calm reply. "That boy with the perfectly adorable voice told me!"

Kurogane stared blankly. "What boy?"

"The one waiting outside your door right now," the blond said easily. "He called you 'Kurogane san'. It only made sense that he called you that because it was your name. Am I wrong?"

"…Wait, you _heard_ that?" the farmer asked, terror suddenly flooding his stomach. If Fai could hear what was going on outside from in here, then what if his two employees were listening to every word being exchanged between him and the elf right now? That wasn't an option; the fact that Kurogane was harboring an elf had to be kept absolutely secret at any cost. If word got out about it, then… Well, Kurogane wasn't exactly sure what would happen, but he knew it wouldn't be good.

"Hmm? Something wrong, Kurorinta?" Fai asked.

"Sh!" Kurogane hissed. "And enough with the damn nicknames!"

"If you're worried about those boys outside your door hearing us, it's alright, Kuropipi," the elf assured him with a smile. "Elves have much sharper hearing than humans; that's the only reason I could hear what was going on outside. I can also hear your heart going thumpity-thump like a frightened little bunny rabbit's, if I listen closely."

Kurogane snarled and gritted his teeth in embarrassment and irritation. "Anyway, just keep quiet whenever anyone's out there. Anyone finds out I'm keeping an elf and…"

"How mean, Daddy!" Fai pouted. "You make me sound like I'm your pet or something!"

"This isn't a joke!" the dark-haired man snarled. "Most people hate elves. The only reason you're still alive is because I know the difference between light and dark elves. I'm willing to bet most people don't know or care that one kind is evil and the other isn't."

"But _you_ cared," Fai said with a soft smile.

Kurogane gaped at him for a moment, caught off guard, painfully aware of the way the heat was rising slightly in his cheeks. Then he realized how stupid he must look because Fai's smile was becoming increasingly sweet and gentle so he snorted and gritted his teeth in defiance.

"Don't be so damn arrogant," Kurogane sneered. "You're only here so I can get some information about those dark elf bastards out of you."

Fai was briefly silent, the smile on his lips losing its soft, sweet quality and becoming just a little bitter. "…I see."

"Anyway, I don't have time to hang around and play games with morons like you," the farmer sighed as he got to his feet. "I just came in here to get food. You'll eat peaches again, right?"

"Ooh, yes!" Fai replied eagerly, his mood changing again rather suddenly. "I love peaches! I could eat them for almost every meal!"

"Dunno how you can stand this sweet crap," Kurogane grumbled as he rounded up three peaches from his slowly shrinking collection. He crossed the room to Fai's bed and was about to drop them carelessly on the blond's stomach when he saw the elf open his mouth expectantly. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Eh? You mean you're not going to feed me and give me kisses anymore?" Fai pouted.

"H-hell no!" Kurogane sputtered, his face reddening impressively. "I only did that because you were unconscious and would die if you didn't get food somehow! And wasn't kissing you! Anyway, you were supposed to be asleep during all that!"

"Ah, so that _was_ you!" Fai giggled shyly. "I wasn't sure since I'd been asleep the whole time, but I'm so glad it turned out not to be a dream!"

The dark-haired man just stared, horrified that he had just foolishly admitted to the charges of which Fai had accused him.

"I had a feeling you weren't as cold and callous as you're pretending to be," the blond sighed happily. "Who would have thought that the big, tough, scary Kuropuu could give such soft, sweet kisses?"

Kurogane stood there, trembling with rage, his face blazing, trying to come up with a smart, snappy comeback. It seemed that his anger was impairing his ability to think straight. Unable to redeem himself in this argument and not really trusting himself not to let other idiotic details of his misadventures while caring for the blond come tumbling out of his mouth, Kurogane turned on his heal and headed for the door. He had had enough of this weirdo elf teasing and making a fool out of him; he was going to take his food outside and eat with Syaoran and Watanuki.

"Are you leaving me again, Kuropun?" Fai asked.

"Some people have jobs," Kurogane grunted. "Not everyone can afford to lie around and sleep for eleven days straight."

"I'm sorry to cause you so much trouble, Kurosama," the elf said with an apologetic smile.

"Yeah, well, if that's how you feel, then don't get hurt next time," he said sternly.

"Ah, but…" Fai began, but he stopped himself, still smiling, yet looking slightly conflicted.

"What?" Kurogane asked.

"I was just wondering… I don't suppose there's anyone who might be able to stay with me while you're at work, is there?" he requested.

The dark-haired man frowned. "What for?"

Fai shrugged as he picked up one of his peaches and examined it with more interest than it merited. "I just don't want to get lonely again while you're away."

"Hah?" Kurogane said incredulously. "You trying to tell me you can't stand to be by yourself for a couple freaking hours?"

The blond just smiled apologetically. Kurogane heaved a sigh and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly as he thought. "There's Inuki, I guess."

"Inuki, huh?" Fai repeated. "Is that Kurowanwan's puppy dog?"

"Yeah," the other man answered. "You want him or not?"

"Mm, I suppose Inuki would be alright, then," Fai agreed slowly.

Kurogane opened the front door, being careful to block the opening with his body so that Syaoran and Watanuki couldn't see inside, and whistled for his dog. "Oi, Inuki! Come here!"

The dog came bounding over, wagging his tail excitedly as if he had been waiting his whole life for his master to invite him into the house. Kurogane stepped aside to let Inuki in and turned to leave, but the elf stopped him again. "Will you be back late?"

"Who do you think you are, my mother?" Kurogane growled after chancing a glance at his two farmhands to make sure they weren't listening.

Fai laughed. "I only wondered when I would get to see my handsome rescuer again."

"Tch," the ruby-eyed man scoffed, flushing slightly. "I ought to be back a few hours after sunset. And don't let that dog piss on the floor. He's an outdoor animal so he's not housetrained."

"Yes, sir!" Fai giggled as Inuki sniffed eagerly at the elf's pointed ears and licked his face.

"Hmph," Kurogane grunted as he closed the door behind him.

Once his caretaker was gone, Fai turned his attention to Inuki, patting the dog's head and trying to ward off his warm, wet tongue. Eventually, he was able to persuade Inuki to stop licking him and lie calmly at his side so that he could eat his peaches. Fai closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly and shakily.

"I knew he wasn't my Kurosama," he mumbled to himself as he picked up one of the peaches that Kurogane had given him and turned it absentmindedly in his fingers. "My Kurosama is gone… But they really are alike, aren't they? They've got the same voice, the same face, the same way of talking… It was almost like having my Kuropipi back again."

A few teardrops slipped from the blond's royal blue eyes and landed on the peach's soft flesh. He sniffled and quickly dried his tears.

"Ah… this is no good," Fai whispered to Inuki with a small, sad smile. "What would Kurowanta say if he saw me carrying on like this?"

The dog gave a little whimper and laid his head in Fai's lap as if trying to offer him comfort in the only way he knew how. Fai heaved another sigh and stroked Inuki's ears appreciatively, trying to calm himself as he took a bite of his peach.

* * *

When Kurogane got home, his senses were assaulted by the scent of fresh bread and some other food that he couldn't identify. Still, he had to admit that it smelled pretty good. A fire had been lit in the grate and there were plenty of candles burning, bathing the small house's interior in a warm, cozy light. Fai was stirring a pot of something on the stove, singing quietly to himself as he worked. It was a melodic, honey-sweet sound that sent shivers through Kurogane's body. Suddenly, Fai turned to face him and smiled.

"Welcome home, Kuromu," he said with a slight bow. "I've got dinner almost ready for us. I hope you like cheese soup."

"What do you think you're doing? You're not well enough to be up and moving around like this, idiot," Kurogane grumbled, though he was secretly rather pleased. It had been a long, tiring day and he didn't have the energy to make anything for supper. Not only that, but it had been so long since the last time he had come home to a hot meal and an inviting house. Normally, it was dark and empty when he got there after work.

"But it's so boring just lying around and doing nothing all by myself," Fai explained. "Besides, I thought it would be a good way to show how grateful I am for you saving me."

"Hmph," Kurogane huffed as he sat down. Inuki bounded over to him, whining in protest. What were those things in his fur? Kurogane frowned as he bent down to examine the damage that had been done to his dog. Upon closer examination, they turned out to be makeshift ribbons. Someone had made little ponytails all over Inuki's head, tying his thick white fur back with bows made of strips of tattered cloth. Not only that, but the dog's nails had been painted. Kurogane let out a low snarl.

"What the hell did you do to my dog?" he demanded.

Fai giggled like a naughty child who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Well, you were gone for so long; I had to keep myself busy somehow!"

"So you thought you'd emasculate my dog while you were waiting?!" he snapped.

"Don't be such a drama queen, Kuropun," the blond said. "I just thought Inuki deserved a chance to be beautiful."

"Look at this!" Kurogane spat as he hurriedly removed the ribbons. "He looks like some deranged drag queen! Disgusting!"

"Shall I make _you_ pretty next, Kuropiko?" Fai asked, grinning.

"If you so much as come near me with any of this girly shit, I swear I'll chop your head off and remove your sorry excuse for a brain with a spoon," the scarlet-eyed man promised dangerously.

"Then go wash up for supper and hand me your bowl, Kuropon," the elf instructed cheerfully.

Kurogane, still bristling at the thought of Fai messing with his hair, opened the door to let Inuki out, rinsed his hands and returned to the table to give his guest his bowl.

"I hope it tastes alright," he said as he filled it with soup and passed it back. "I've never cooked for so few people."

"Hn," the dark-haired man grunted, accepting the soup. Fai watched him anxiously as Kurogane tasted it.

"…Not bad," he admitted. That was Kurogane-speak for "pretty damn good". Fai seemed to sense this because he grinned brightly as he served himself.

"So, you're a farmer, Kuromin?" the blond asked, blowing on his soup to cool it down.

"Yeah," he answered distractedly.

"That's great!" Fai chirped. "What kinds of things to you have on your farm?"

"Nothing special," Kurogane shrugged. "Couple cows, chickens, horses, pigs, sheep… and some fruit trees. Usually there're vegetables, too, but they've been harvested already."

"Pigs, huh? I'd like to see Kurowanta taking care of the piggies," the elf giggled.

"Shut up, you," Kurogane snarled, knowing that he was being made fun of again.

"I'd like to help, too, of course," Fai continued happily. "I love animals. Light elves are the guardians of nature, you know, so I'm pretty good with them."

"Yeah, about that elf thing," Kurogane said, pointing at him accusingly with his spoon. "Aren't humans who do something for elves supposed to get a pot of gold or something?"

Fai looked momentarily puzzled, then laughed. "I'm afraid it's leprechauns that do the pot of gold thing. We elves usually prefer to hand out good luck to those who help us."

"Good luck, huh?" Kurogane echoed. "So when does that kick in? 'Cause I sure as hell didn't have good luck today."

"Oh?" Fai asked pleasantly. "Did Kurochii have a rough day at work?"

"Like hell I'm gonna tell you about it," Kurogane grumbled, thinking of the cow that had peed on him as he'd tried to lead it to the slaughter. A few of the chickens had scratched him pretty good, too, and one of the sheep had bitten him. "You'll just laugh. Anyway, you gonna give me some luck or what?"

Fai smiled mysteriously. "Maybe, if you're nice to me."

"What the hell?!" the dark-haired man snapped. "I saved your freaking life! What could be nicer than that?!"

The elf giggled. "How about a kiss?"

"DON'T BE STUPID!!" Kurogane roared, his cheeks reddening. "I CAME CLOSE ENOUGH WITH THAT FEEDING BULLSHIT!! NO WAY AM I GONNA PUT MYSELF THROUGH _THAT_ AGAIN!!"

"Goodness, it was only a joke, Kuropii," Fai chuckled. "No need to get so hostile!"

"Hmph!" Kurogane snorted, focusing on his soup again in hopes that Fai wouldn't see him still blushing. "Ungrateful bastard!"

"And those two boys from earlier today… they help you on the farm?" Fai asked.

"Yeah."

"Are they your slaves?"

Kurogane looked up from his supper in mild surprise at the tone of the elf's voice as he asked that question. It hadn't been harsh, per se, but it had certainly been darker than the usual light and carefree tone that Fai usually employed.

"No," he replied with a curious frown. "They're paid."

At this response, the elf's mood seemed to lighten again considerably and he let the subject drop.

"Do you think you could take me out to see the animals?" the blond requested.

"What, tonight?" Kurogane asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes! It'll be fun!"

Kurogane snorted doubtfully. "Forget it. It's a long walk to the stables and I've been out there all day already."

"A long walk?" Fai repeated. "Is your farm really that big, Kuropyon?"

"Yeah, it's big, but it hasn't been doing as well since I started running it by myself," he said.

"Did someone else used to help you?" Fai asked.

"My parents," Kurogane mumbled. "But they're not around anymore."

"Oh…I'm sorry," Fai whispered.

"Yeah, well, no point in looking backward," the dark-haired man said roughly, taking another bite of his soup. "You can't make any progress if you only think about the bad stuff in your past. You've gotta just keep looking forward."

Fai smiled sadly. That was exactly the kind of thing that his Kurogane would have said. "But if you don't take time to remember the past, then you might forget all the ones you love who are gone now."

"I didn't say you had to forget about it," Kurogane growled. "Do what you have to to come to terms with it and move on with your life. Otherwise you'll just end up wasting the time you've got left."

Fai didn't know how to reply to that, so he bowed his head and busied himself with his food as he considered what Kurogane had just said. This Kurogane was so much like the one he had known and fallen in love with that it hurt just to look at him. He thought he might have been able to cope with it better if this Kurogane didn't insist on not only looking exactly like the one he had known but acting and speaking like him, too. The only noticeable difference was the fact that the Kurogane he had known had had pointed ears kind of like Fai's.

Still, Fai recognized the wisdom in his words. His Kurogane would have been disgusted if Fai let himself waste away as he brooded about what happened to him. Perhaps meeting this Kurogane was his chance to move on. What if he could start over in more favorable conditions than what he had had the first time around? But the worst things that had happened to him had been so recent. Could he really put all that behind him and move on so quickly? It seemed disrespectful somehow. Then again, if he didn't get himself under control and quit letting himself lapse into these little pity parties, he might ruin his chances with this Kurogane.

"Thanks for the food," Kurogane said, standing up and carrying his dishes to the sink. "You about done? You need to put this stuff on your wounds before you go to bed."

He glanced in disgust at the sissy pink medication bottle he was holding up for Fai to see.

"Ok," Fai replied, putting on a smile for his host. "But I might need some help reaching the ones on my back."

"Hn," the ruby-eyed man acquiesced somewhat reluctantly. "You still wanna go see the animals?"

"Maybe tomorrow," Fai said. "I'm… feeling a little light-headed all of a sudden."

"Tch. I knew it was too soon for you to be up and moving around like this," Kurogane sighed, shaking his head in exasperation. "Just put on the lotion stuff and go to bed. I'll take care of the cleanup."

"Thank you, Kuronro," the elf said gratefully.

* * *

"Kurochan, I'm ready for you to help me put some on my back," Fai called.

Kurogane joined the blond near his futon, picked up the bottle of medication and shook some out into his hand.

"Mm, your hands are nice and warm," Fai breathed. "They're a little rough, though."

"Yeah, well, that's what happens when you do hard manual labor all day," Kurogane grunted disinterestedly, though he eased up a little, trying to be more gentle.

A surprisingly comfortable silence descended over them as Kurogane massaged the medicated lotion into Fai's healing skin.

"Ah!" The elf gasped when Kurogane's calloused fingers suddenly hit a raw spot. "Careful with that spot, please, Kurochuu… it still hurts pretty bad."

A closer examination of the area in question revealed that one of the welts had somehow been ripped open again, a fine line of fresh blood making its appearance on Fai's pale skin. "What did you do to deserve this?" Kurogane asked.

Fai said nothing for a moment, making Kurogane wonder if he was being ignored. Then he spoke finally. "Hmm… well, let's just say I was a bad boy and I got punished for it."

"You're not gonna tell me, are you?"

Fai smiled sadly. "It's nothing personal, Kuronpyu… It's just such a long story and… I'm starting to get a little sleepy."

Kurogane studied him thoughtfully. He could usually tell when someone was lying to him and that was one of the weakest ones that Fai had told so far. For some reason, Fai didn't want to tell him what had happened. Really, Kurogane had no right to that information if the elf didn't want to give it to him. He decided to let the matter drop, but he still couldn't help feeling just a little disgruntled.

* * *

It was perhaps one in the morning when Kurogane was awoken by a small commotion. Actually, it was only a bit of rustling, the light pitter-patter of bare feet on wood, a creak as the door was opened and a gentle snap as it was quietly closed again, but Kurogane was an especially light sleeper so it seemed like a commotion to him. The dark-haired man rubbed his eyes and glanced in the direction of Fai's futon only to find it empty. What could that elf be up to at this hour? Surely he wasn't trying to make a run for it.

With a groan, he hauled himself out of bed and went to the window to see if he could see what that idiot blond was up to. Kurogane scanned the yard with his sharp garnet eyes. There was a full moon, casting a convenient silvery glow over everything. Then Kurogane saw something moving out on the lawn; a person with a thin, willowy form seemed to be gingerly stretching his limbs in the moonlight. It was Fai, flexing his still-injured arms and legs carefully as though preparing himself for some sort of acrobatic feat. The farmer watched curiously.

Once he was finished stretching, Fai began to dance. He started out with one hand in the air, prancing lightly on his toes backward and forward, lifting one knee high every other step. Then he began to move in a circle, both hands up on either side of his head, alternately using his left and right leg as his dominant one. Kurogane was enthralled. Every movement was so polished and graceful. Though Kurogane got the feeling that the dance was intended to be performed by a group, he still couldn't help staring as if bewitched. It was strange; Kurogane usually found dancing to be pretty dull to watch, but something about Fai's flawless rhythm and coordination had him spellbound. He couldn't even blink. And his heart… surely it was only pounding like that because of his shock at finding himself so completely incapable of movement, right? His breath was only short because…

Before Kurogane's numb brain had a chance to formulate an excuse for the way his body was acting, Fai wavered and suddenly collapsed. The dark-haired man shook his head and clamped his eyes shut, able to move again now that Fai had stopped dancing. When he opened them again, he saw that the sun was up. What the hell was going on here? How had morning managed to creep up on him so quickly (1)? But now was no time to be brooding on that; Fai had collapsed.

"Damn, idiot elf!" Kurogane snarled, racing outside and crouching next to the blond's still body. He carefully turned Fai over on his back, supporting his head on his arm. "Hey! What was that about?!"

"Sorry, Kurokuro…" Fai panted. "I… I guess I just exceeded my limit…"

"You moron!" he growled, carefully gathering his patient into his arms. "Even after doing something as easy as making dinner made you all light-headed, you thought it'd be a good idea to come outside in the middle of the night and do your stupid fairy prance in the yard until morning?!"

A tired smile spread across Fai's lips. "Were you watching me dance, Kurowanko?"

"I…!" Kurogane clenched his teeth, blushing as he realized that he had been caught red-handed. "O-obviously if I hear noise in the middle of the night I'm gonna wonder what's going on! Anyone would have woken up with the amount of noise you made as you were leaving!"

"Hmm? Was I really that loud?" Fai asked, looking a bit sheepish.

"Damn right you were!" the red-eyed man snarled, cradling the elf in his strong arms as he carried him back towards the house. "Could've woken the dead with all the noise you were making!"

"I'm sorry, Kuromii," Fai sighed, closing his royal-blue eyes. "I tried to be as quiet as possible."

Kurogane snorted in disbelief. "Whatever," he muttered, opening the door to let them in. "But you're staying in bed today and if you try to get up and do anything, I'll kick your ass."

"Listen to Daddy, taking such good care of me," the blond grinned.

"Who's a daddy?" Kurogane groused. "Besides, what did I say about calling me those stupid names?"

"Oh, but I thought you were going to take me to see the animals today, Kuronro," Fai reminded him.

"I can't really take you like this, can I?" Kurogane pointed out sternly. "I already told you, it was a long walk to the stables and I'm not gonna have you collapse on me again. I have to work today anyway. I'll take you on my day off. Now shut up and go to sleep."

Fai sighed as his caretaker pulled the covers up to his shoulders. He wished that Kurogane would stay with him and hold his hand as he slept, but he realized that the other man had work to do and couldn't afford to sit around at home with an injured elf all day. The blond closed his eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep once more. Kurogane rolled his eyes and shook his head in exasperation as he headed outside to wait for his two farmhands to arrive.

Syaoran and Watanuki showed up together about five minutes later. Their expressions revealed that they were not looking forward to continuing with the blood month proceedings but were doing their best to be cheerful. The boys greeted their boss and the three of them began to walk to the stables together.

"Kurogane san… Are you alright?" Syaoran asked, looking into the older man's crimson eyes concernedly. "You look really tired. Are you sick?"

"Huh?" Kurogane said intelligently, jerking himself from his lethargic daze.

"Syaoran kun is right, Kurogane san," Watanuki agreed. "You've got shadows under your eyes. Did something happen last night? Maybe you should stay home and rest today."

"I feel fine," Kurogane grumbled. "I'm not gonna skip work over something stupid like that."

The two boys continued to look worried about their boss.

"Are you sure, Kurogane san?" Syaoran pressed.

"You shouldn't push yourself so hard," Watanuki warned concernedly. "You'll end up making yourself sick if you aren't already."

Kurogane sighed in annoyance. Stupid Fai and his stupid girly dance, keeping him up all night. The worst part of it was that he really was tired and did kind of wish he could take the day off to get caught up on his sleep.

"Forget it," he mumbled. "I'm not gonna quit now; not when we're so close to being done with all this blood month bullshit."

"Yeah, only a few more animals to go…" Syaoran agreed glumly.

"We'll leave one of each animal for now," Kurogane instructed.

"Eh? How come?" Watanuki asked. "Are you going to try and keep them through the winter?"

"No, but… there's this moron who keeps wanting to come and see my animals," the dark-haired man mumbled. "He'd probably throw a huge fit if he came and there weren't any left."

"I guess that would be pretty disappointing," Syaoran nodded. "But who is it? Anyone we know?"

"Nah, just some wandering idiot," Kurogane replied absently.

Syaoran and Watanuki looked at each other in surprise, both clearly thinking the same thing. There was no way the person who wanted to see their boss's animals was just some random wandering idiot or else Kurogane wouldn't allow such a delay in their progress. Whoever this mystery guest was must mean at least something to the dark-haired man. Kurogane stopped walking when he noticed belatedly that his two employees were no longer with him. He turned around to see where they had gone. The boys were frozen in place, staring in shock at something in the grass.

"What is it?" he asked.

"…There's a ring of mushrooms," Watanuki said in a hushed voice.

At first the statement didn't register in Kurogane's still-groggy mind. Then it hit him. "You mean a…"

"Yeah, it… it looks like an älvringar (2)…" Syaoran said nervously.

The dark-haired man came over to have a closer look. It was in the exact spot where Fai had spent the night dancing. He had been so preoccupied with getting the blond back to the house when he had collapsed that he hadn't even noticed it before. How could he have been so careless? Well, he sure as heck wasn't going to leave it there so that other people could stumble across it. Kurogane crushed the colorful mushrooms beneath his foot.

"K-Kurogane san!" the boys gasped, looking horrified.

"What?" Kurogane said, looking thoroughly unconcerned.

"Don't you know what happens to people who step into an älvringar?!" Watanuki panicked.

"I don't care," Kurogane yawned. "I'm not afraid of that crap."

"But you'll lose your eye!" Syaoran squeaked.

"Yeah!" Watanuki confirmed. "Or you'll die young!"

"I said I'm not afraid of those damn superstitions!" the dark-haired man snapped. "Besides, the last thing I need is for Inuki to piss in that freaking circle and get AIDS or something (3)."

The two boys looked at each other worriedly. Syaoran removed his belt and held the buckle out to Kurogane. "At least touch my iron belt buckle (4)," he requested. "Please, Kurogane san?"

Kurogane sighed and rolled his eyes as he reached out and ran his fingers over the smooth metal.

"My neighbor said that a few of her cows suddenly got some kind of strange sickness and when she called the vet to look at them, he found some elf-shot (5) in them," Syaoran mumbled.

"There must be some elves in the area," the bespectacled boy said. Kurogane froze guiltily. "I hope your animals are alright, Kurogane san."

"Maybe you should think about putting up some pentagrams (6), just to be safe," Syaoran suggested.

"Hmph," Kurogane huffed elusively.

He was going to have to make sure he kept close tabs on Fai if other people in the area were finding their animals inflicted with elf-shot. Even if it weren't for the elf-shot thing, he was still going to have to keep closer tabs on him or else his farmhands were going to find out that Fai was staying with him and that was simply not an option. Then again, there was no proof that Fai was the one behind the elf-shot incident. Perhaps there were other elves in the area. He would simply have to ask the blond about it when he got home.

* * *

The house was dark and silent when he got home that night after work, but Kurogane could smell food. Frowning curiously, Kurogane lit a few candles. Fai was still in bed and gave every appearance of being asleep, Inuki curled up happily beside him (mercifully ponytail-free this time). When the dark-haired man approached his futon, the elf sat up and stretched.

"Oh, Kurosama's home," Fai yawned, rubbing his eyes. "Welcome home, Kuronpyu. Hmm? What's that smell?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing," Kurogane growled accusingly. "You better not have gotten up and made supper again."

"Of course not, Kurokuro!" Fai said, looking surprised by the very suggestion. "You saw, I was sleeping until you came in! It sure does smell nice, though, doesn't it?"

He got up and skipped over to the table.

"Ooh, mincemeat pie (7)! Where did this come from, I wonder?" the elf chirped. "Well, no point in letting it go to waste, right? Sit down and have some, Kuropipi!"

"Stupid bastard," Kurogane grumbled as he sat down at the table. "I told you not to do anything today."

"It wasn't me, Kuropiko," Fai insisted, grinning. "It just magically appeared on the table while I was sleeping!"

"Speaking of things that just magically appear," the farmer began sharply as he dug into his mincemeat pie, "there was a freaking älvringar in my yard this morning."

Fai laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah ha ha… Oops."

"You trying to get us caught?!" he hissed.

"No, not at all!" the elf insisted. "But dancing at night is an instinct. It runs in our blood, Kuromyuu. Telling an elf not to dance at night is like telling a human not to work hard in order to earn money."

"You don't seem to get it! If we're caught, we might be killed! You _definitely_ will be, and I _probably_ will be! This is serious, so quit screwing around! If you have to do the dancing thing, then fine! But at least do it somewhere where no one will see and destroy the damn älvringar when you're done!"

Fai lapsed into a guilty silence and picked at his food.

"And someone in town had their animals attacked by elf-shot," Kurogane continued. "That wasn't you, too, was it?"

"…Don't be silly, Kuromun," Fai said, waving the question aside. "Light elves don't attack animals."

"Hmph," Kurogane grunted, starting on his pie. His brow furrowed as he took a bite, and then another. "There's no meat in this."

Fai shrugged. "I don't really care for meat so I didn't add any."

The two of them lapsed into silence as they ate, though it only partially awkward. Inuki was still lying on Fai's futon. He knew better than to beg at the table but Kurogane could see the dog's nose twitching covetously at the rich aroma of the mincemeat pie. Fai apparently noticed too because at that moment, he "accidentally" dropped a large forkful of his pie on the floor. Inuki slunk over and snapped it up happily. Kurogane didn't really have the energy to scold the elf so he just pretended he hadn't noticed.

"Tomorrow's my day off," Kurogane mumbled looking at his plate as if he had been talking to his food rather than to Fai.

Fai's head perked up instantly. "So you'll take me to see the animals tomorrow?"

"If it'll keep you quiet," he grumbled.

"Hyuu! I get to go see Big Doggy's animals! I'm so happy!" Fai cheered. Without warning, he leaned across the table and snatched Kurogane's hands, holding them between both of his. "Thank you so much, Kuromyuu!"

Kurogane blushed slightly at the show of genuine joy and gratitude and the pleasant warmth and softness of the elf's hands on his.

"What did I say about those stupid nicknames?" he groused half-heartedly. Fai just smiled sweetly and gave his hands one last gentle squeeze before letting them go. The two of them finished their meal in companionable silence. Kurogane yawned as he gathered up his dishes and brought them to the wash basin.

"Hmm? Are you sleepy, Kurochan?" Fai asked concernedly.

"Hmph. And who's fault do you think that is, dumb ass?" the dark-haired farmer asked accusingly, his cheeks going a bit pink. "If someone hadn't made me watch their stupid girly dance all freaking night last night, I'd be fine."

Fai smiled again. "Maybe I just don't have things straight in my head, but I don't recall _making_ you do anything, Kurowanko."

Kurogane tried to glare at him, but the effect was ruined by him rubbing his eyes tiredly. The elf took his arm and led him over to his futon.

"I washed our bedding today so all your blankets are nice and clean now," he told his host cheerfully.

"Hn," Kurogane replied, unwilling to grant him an actual "thank you".

Fai seemed to understand because he giggled to himself. "You worked hard today, Kuropiko. Why don't you just go to bed a little early tonight and I'll take care of the dishes and everything?"

Kurogane considered the offer. His pride told him to refuse flat-out, but being so close to his nice warm bed seemed to sap him of his ability to say no. After all, he had done a full day of work, from sunset to sundown after only three hours of sleep. Grudgingly, he buried himself under his covers.

"You try anything weird and I swear I'll kick your ass all the way back to Alfheim (8)," Kurogane warned, trying his best to sound menacing but it just came out sounding groggy and sleepy.

Fai smiled sadly, feeling his heart warm considerably at seeing Kurogane like this. It reminded him of the Kurogane he had known. His Kurogane had always become more affectionate when he was tired and allowed Fai to hold his hand as the two of them fell asleep. He could almost feel his lover's warm lips pressed against his knuckles. How Fai wished he could recapture that moment… He could feel his whole body aching suddenly for his Kurogane's touch, his heart most of all. If he could even cuddle up next to this Kurogane, he was sure he would feel at least a little bit better. But there was no way the farmer would allow that when Fai was like a stranger to him.

The elf turned his back on his sleeping host as he felt tears coming to his royal blue eyes again. Wishing was not going to bring his Kurogane back; he knew that. And as much as he wanted to start anew with this Kurogane, he knew that trying to rush things between them would not help their potential relationship. He needed to take things slow and make progress one step at a time. Reluctantly, Fai dragged himself back to the kitchen area and began to clear the table.

* * *

Fai skipped and clapped his hands joyfully as Kurogane led him through the sprawling yard to the barn. "Hyuu hyuu! Going to see Kurotan's animals! Finally!"

"Dunno what you're so excited about," Kurogane grumbled. "You're a guardian of nature, right? You get to see animals all the time."

"Yes, but I love them!" Fai chirped, flashing Kurogane a sunny smile. "And these ones are extra special because they're Kurosama's!"

Kurogane snorted. "Don't be stupid. My animals don't look any different from anyone else's."

"Let's see the piggies first," the elf sang. "Or maybe the horsies! Oh, but Moo-moo sans are cute, too! And so are the fluffy little sheep! Ah, I'm so excited I don't know which one I want to see first!"

The farmer rolled his eyes at Fai's childish display but at the same time couldn't help but find it just the tiniest bit endearing. It had been so long since he had last spent time with someone who had this kind of energy. To tell the truth, it was kind of refreshing. Not that Kurogane would ever admit this, of course; he gave every appearance of being highly annoyed by Fai's behavior. He fixed his face into a scowl as he trudged across the lawn, just to make sure that Fai knew he was not pleased about having to make this little fieldtrip.

"Maybe Kuropyun will show me how to ride a horse," he gushed excitedly.

"Are you serious?" Kurogane asked incredulously. "You've never ridden a horse?"

"We really don't have many horses in Alfheim," Fai explained. "And besides that, we elves generally prefer to travel on foot."

Kurogane let his eyes rove absentmindedly over Fai's face, and he noticed something that caught his attention.

"Hey…" he said slowly. "What's wrong with your face?"

Fai stuck out his lower lip in a pout. "How mean, Kuromu! What did I do to deserve that?"

"I'm serious," Kurogane growled. "Your cheeks and nose… They're all red."

The blond looked puzzled and mildly surprised. "Really?"

"The tips of your ears, too," he continued. "It almost looks like sunburn."

"Sunburn, Kurokuro?" Fai asked. "But I haven't been outside during the day for about two weeks now."

"Let me see your shoulder," he demanded.

"Goodness, Kuropipi… I don't know if I'm ready for this kind of relationship!" Fai giggled.

"Shut up and let me see!" Kurogane snapped. He took the elf's arm and forced his sleeve up over his shoulder, causing the other man to wince slightly. "Hmm… It's not as red as your face but it's getting there."

"I guess I should probably get out of the sun, then, hmm?" Fai suggested.

"I guess. Your face is getting worse," the farmer noted, bewildered as the fair elf began to burn before his very eyes.

"Let's run!" Fai tried to make a dash for the barn, which was still a good forty yards away, but his movements were curiously stiff and jerky.

Kurogane let out a little snarl and ran after him, catching up easily and scooping the blond into his arms so that he could get them into the barn more quickly. Fai curled up against his strong body, nuzzled his head under the farmer's chin and buried his face in the crook of his neck, trying to shield himself from the sun as much as possible. His soft lips brushed Kurogane's neck accidentally. The farmer blushed and cleared his throat but said nothing until they were safely in the barn.

"Jeez, what a hassle," he huffed. "How can one person be so much work? And how the hell can a _light elf_ get sunburn anyway?"

"Ouchy! Sunburn is painful!" Fai complained.

"Let me see," Kurogane commanded. He cupped Fai's cheek in his hand and lifted his chin so he could have a look. The farmer ran his thumb lightly over Fai's delicate skin. "Does this always happen when you're in the sun for such a short amount of time?"

Fai thought about this for a moment. "Well, hmm…" he said elusively with a grin.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" the dark-haired man growled.

"It means that we're here at the barn and it's time to see the animals!" Fai cheered. "Hyuu! Look at the horsies!"

Kurogane watched the elf in disbelief as he bounded over to the gray and black horses. Fai took the muzzle of the black horse in one hand and stroked its nose gently as he whispered to it.

"What're their names, Kuromin?" he asked brightly.

"The black one is Souhi and the gray one is Ginryuu," Kurogane answered impatiently, irritated with the way everything had to be a secret with Fai. Why did he have to keep even something as insignificant as his sunburn history from him?

"Ginryuu and Souhi, hmm?" Fai repeated. "Ginryuu looks like an older horse… have you had him long?"

"He was my father's," Kurogane replied distantly. "We raised him together."

Something was going on here… Not only had Fai burned in a ridiculously short amount of time, but being exposed to the sun seemed to have made him stiff as well…

"Hurray! Sheep!" Fai skipped over to the sheep nuzzled his face into the warm white fleece.

It didn't make sense for a light elf to burn so easily. But what had he heard in school about the effect of sun on dark elves?

"Moo-moo san! Good morning!" the blond trilled happily to the cow. The cow mooed back at him as if returning the greeting.

Dark elves… Ah, what was it? Kurogane ground his heel into the dirt floor in frustration as he tried to recall what he had learned all those years ago. The answer was lingering just out of reach; he could feel it. Then it hit him; dark elves turned to stone in sunlight! So the reason that the sunlight had made Fai all stiff when he had tried to run for cover was…! Kurogane looked up at the blond in horror and disgust.

_That bastard! He's… He's a dark elf!_

* * *

**A/N: **So as for the story ahead… there's a rather major bad-guy part that I need to fill and I don't know who to give it to. There really aren't that many evil Clamp characters. My first impulse was to give it to Ashura, but he turned out not to be as evil as I had imagined. Fei Wang is in a different role in this story so it can't be him… That leaves Kyle, I think. Either that or an OC (which I generally hate in fanfics). What do you guys think? Kyle, OC, or some other Clamp character (you'd have to suggest someone because I really can't think of anyone evil enough)?

* * *

1) According to folklore, a human who watches an elf dance will be held spellbound the whole time the dance is going on. To the human, it will seem like only a short time has passed, when in reality, they may remain captivated by the dance for years. I watered this down, though, for obvious reasons. If you want to see the dance I was trying to describe Fai doing in this scene, go to youtube and search "fairy dance- gan ainm Irish dancers". It looks pretty cool.

2) Älvringar- "Elf circle"; either a circle of mushrooms or a spot where the grass has been flattened, marking the spot of an elf or fairy dance. Any human who entered one would face harsh consequences, though what exactly these consequences were seemed to be debatable. Some European folklore claimed that the person would lose their eye somehow, die before their time, fall ill or some other undesirable thing.

3) Apparently, peeing in an älvringar was said to cause venereal disease. Why anyone would be compelled to try this is beyond me.

4) A person who had entered an älvringar could be spared the unsavory consequences by touching iron. Supposedly, elves were afraid of iron and could not touch it/were repelled by it.

5) Elf-shot- in early texts, it was said to simply be a sharp pain that was somehow caused by elves. Later on, it was changed to suggest actual, tangible flint arrowheads fired by elves at humans or livestock to cause pain and illness.

6) Pentagram- a five-pointed star-shaped charm said to ward off evil elves.

7) Mincemeat pie- kind of like potpie only they contained a mixture of alcohol, spices and diced dried fruit. In the early days, it also always contained meat but some modern recipes do without it.

8) Alfheim- the realm of the light elves, ruled by the Norse god Freyr, god of fertility, weather and agriculture and king of the light elves.


	40. Oblivious

**A/N: **Unnnnnnngh… After fighting this story every step of the way, I'm pretty sure it doesn't want to be written. Usually once I figure out where the plot is going, I can write without a horrible amount of difficulty but I know what I'm doing with this story and it still feels like each word has to be beaten out of my brain with a metal bat. Why is it being sooo difficult? :(

* * *

**Oblivious**

Dark elf! Fai was a dark elf! He had to be; a light elf wouldn't burn so easily or mysteriously become so stiff when exposed to sunlight. Kurogane could feel a blinding rage boiling up inside of him. He launched himself at the blond, tearing him away from the cow he was petting, and slamming his back against the wall of the barn. Fai hissed in pain and choked when Kurogane grabbed him by the throat.

"You piece of shit!" Kurogane snarled.

"K-Kuro…s-sama…" Fai gasped, struggling in his grip. "Wh-what…?"

"You're a dark elf!! You were about to turn to stone out there!!" he roared. "Admit it or I'll tear your throat out with my bare hands!!"

Upon hearing the accusation, Fai gave him such a look of terror and heartbreak that Kurogane might have loosened his grip if he hadn't been so overcome by the ceaseless flood of painful memories. His mother and father… and that creature, that dark elf grinning up at him from his mother's lifeless arms… The farmer's crimson eyes gleamed savagely as they bored into Fai's royal blue ones. "Admit it!!"

"I… Ku-Kurotan…N-no…"

Further provoked by Fai's response, Kurogane slammed him against the wall again, drawing a small cry from him this time. Ginryuu reared back and whinnied loudly in protest, inciting the other animals to join in uneasily.

"Shut the hell up, all of you!!" Kurogane shouted furiously. "I'll finish this bastard off for good this time!!"

He increased the pressure on Fai's throat, intending to strangle him. Fai made an odd joking sound as he tried in vain to pry Kurogane's hands away from his windpipe.

"Kurogane, don't!" a voice commanded sharply from behind him.

The dark-haired man whirled around to see who had the nerve to interrupt him when he was about to have his sweet vengeance. The woman standing there was quite possibly the last person he wanted to see right then; Yuuko.

"Stay out of this, bitch!!" Kurogane snapped. "It's got nothing to do with you!!"

"He's not a dark elf," she said calmly. "Let go of him."

"Liar!!" he raged.

"You knew of his connection with the dark elves long before this child even regained consciousness," Yuuko reminded him. "You chose to care for him anyway. Besides, there is no reason for me to lie to you about this. Release him before you kill him."

Kurogane turned his gaze back to Fai, whose throat he was still squeezing mercilessly. The elf had gone limp from lack of oxygen. Kurogane slowly released him and let the unconscious blond slide to the floor. He heard Fai give a little gasp as the pressure was released from around his neck, restoring his ability to breathe but he didn't open his eyes.

"I saw him start to turn to stone in the sunlight!" Kurogane insisted. "You still expect me to believe he's not a dark elf?!"

"He's not," she repeated. "He was claimed by them as their property and obviously spent time among them, but he is not one of them."

"But why would a light elf—"

"He's not a light elf, either," the witch cut in.

Kurogane stared at her blankly. "What the hell does that mean? He's got to be one or the other. They're the only types of elves there are."

"Unfortunately, I do not have the answer to that question," Yuuko said firmly. "That is something you will have to ask him for yourself."

"Tch. Like that's even an option," Kurogane sneered. "The guy won't tell me jack shit. _Everything's_ a secret with him."

"Perhaps that's just because you've only just met him," Yuuko suggested. "You can hardly ask him to simply spill the details of his whole history to someone who is more or less a stranger to him."

The scarlet-eyed man gritted his teeth in a frustrated silence, realizing that she was right. Fai had obviously been through some terrible ordeal so it was only natural that he wouldn't want to talk about it. It would be one thing if the two of them were best friends, but the two of them hardly knew each other; Kurogane had no right to demand any information from him about his past or background. Yuuko crouched down beside Fai and ran her fingers lightly through his golden hair.

"You've hurt him pretty badly emotionally," she told him sternly. "And there's some physical damage, too, of course. You're lucky this child has such a kind heart; he could have killed you rather easily. Elves are quite a bit stronger than humans, even if they don't look it."

The dark-haired man made a little noise of disbelief. Yuuko looked up to meet Kurogane's gaze. "Falsely accusing someone of being a dark elf is a pretty grave insult. I only hope he is able to forgive you."

"Hmph," Kurogane grunted sullenly. "What the hell was I supposed to think after that sunburn crap? He's got dark eyes, too; another mark of a dark elf."

Yuuko shrugged. "Either way, it looks like you might have some work ahead of you as you find some way to make it up to him. Speaking of compensation, I'll take mine now, too, if you don't mind."

"Hah?!" Kurogane squawked indignantly. "What the hell do you mean by that?!"

"Well, I did make the trip all the way out here and settle your dispute just now," Yuuko reminded him, suddenly looking quite a bit more cheerful. "Let's see. I'll take…smoked pork."

"Forget it. No one asked you to come out here," Kurogane growled. "That was your own choice."

Yuuko's eyes glinted dangerously in the gloom of the barn and a mysterious wind began to blow, causing her long, dark hair to flutter ominously. "Refusing to pay a witch for her services… I would say that's both extremely brave and extremely foolish."

The animals stirred again fretfully, the strong magical aura around the witch making them nervous. When Kurogane noticed how dark it was suddenly becoming outside the windows, he relented.

"Jeez! Fine!" he snapped. "You can have your damn pork! You don't have to call in the freaking apocalypse!"

At his acquiescence, the darkness outside the barn windows vanished and the mysterious wind died down, leaving Yuuko looking rather pleased with herself. "A wise decision," she said smugly.

Still grumbling to himself, Kurogane stomped past her out of the barn and led her towards the shed where he cured and smoked the meat he had gathered during blood month.

* * *

Once the witch had been paid, Kurogane returned to the barn to fetch the elf. Fai was still unconscious. The animals were clustered around him, bending over him as if they were concerned about the blond. Kurogane shooed them away so that he could scoop Fai into his arms, holding his graceful, willowy body carefully and allowing Fai to hide his face in the crook of his neck. The dark-haired man hung his head over him and shielded him with his strong arms so that Fai's skin wouldn't be exposed to the sunlight again as he carried him back to the house.

Fai trembled in his embrace, though whether his tremors were a product of fear or emotional torment Kurogane didn't know. Now that his anger over the whole situation had faded, Kurogane began to feel guilty for what he had done to the elf. The injuries that had covered Fai's body when Kurogane had found him were just beginning to fade and he had gone and ruined it by putting those big ugly purple handprints around Fai's slender neck. The elf had obviously already had to suffer through a long history of harsh physical abuse and he didn't need his supposed caretaker adding to it.

Then there was the matter of the emotional damage that Kurogane had caused by accusing him of being a dark elf. Dark elves were truly the most disgusting beings in existence. They kidnapped babies and left their own hideous, murderous offspring with the unsuspecting human parents, they caused illness and death among innocent people and livestock, they stole and raped and lied and destroyed property… Dark elves were creatures who could not only never be loved but were also hated with such passion by every single race on earth that their extinction would be rejoiced.

And Kurogane had accused Fai of being one, even after the elf had never been anything but kind and helpful whenever possible. The farmer wasn't sure exactly what Fai's connection to the dark elves was, but he could tell it had been a very painful and unpleasant one. No doubt the accusation, more than the bruises, had the cruelest thing of all. Kurogane laid the elf down on his futon and rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to decide on the best course of action. In spite of his frequent irritation at Fai's antics, he still felt the need to make things right between them again.

The most obvious thing to do would be to go get some calendula cream from the apothecary to help with the bruising on his neck (1). Kurogane had been meaning to get some anyway since it also helped with cuts and rashes, things that were common in his line of work. He could figure something else out later, for now he would just focus on healing the bruises. After covering Fai up to protect him from the late-November chill that was creeping under the door, Kurogane gathered the few coins he had in his possession and started off toward the in-town marketplace.

* * *

It was about two hours later when Fai finally opened his eyes. He was back in his futon on the wooden floor of Kurogane's house. The elf's eyes drifted closed again as he tried to remember what had happened. Hadn't he gone with Kurogane to see the animals? And yet he had no memory of coming back… had all that been a dream? But if he had just been sleeping here the whole time, why did his neck hurt so badly? Fai gasped and sat bolt upright as remembrance flooded back to him. Kurogane had accused him of being a dark elf and had tried to strangle him! Fai couldn't recall how that situation had turned out but he couldn't imagine why he would be back here in the house cuddled up in his futon after something like that…

"Hmph, it's about time you opened your eyes," a deep voice grumbled.

"Kurosama…" Fai said softly. His slender fingers drifted absentmindedly toward his bruised neck where Kurogane had grabbed him earlier. The two of them stared at each other, an uneasy silence hanging over their heads. That was when Fai noticed a light, sweet scent in the air.

"That smell…" he began hesitantly as he got to his feet. "Is that… peaches?"

Kurogane cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away. Fai followed his gaze to the old wooden table. Something was sitting on its surface. The elf got out of bed and approached curiously, his eyes widening when he realized that the source of the smell was the fresh peach cobbler that was waiting on the table. He turned his royal blue eyes to the farmer who was blushing and avoiding his gaze.

"What's this, Kurotan?" Fai asked, tilting his head cutely.

Kurogane cleared his throat again nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

"What's it look like, idiot?" he huffed stubbornly. "Peach cobbler."

"But I thought you said you didn't like sweet things, Kurorin," Fai pointed out.

"I don't," Kurogane growled. "But you like peaches and most elves like butter (2), right? You can eat it. Besides, this girl in the market place wouldn't leave me alone until I bought something from her."

Fai looked between Kurogane and the dessert and a slow smile of understanding spread across his lips. This was a peace offering; it was Kurogane's gruff way of apologizing for what he had done to him in the barn. The dark-haired man's cheeks burned a bit brighter when he saw the sweet smile the elf was directing at him.

"Thank you," Fai said.

He sat down at the table and dug into the cobbler happily. Kurogane watched him out of the corner of his eye as the blond ate. It was a couple minutes before he spoke again.

"…Does it hurt?" he asked in a mumble, referring to the marks he had left on Fai's neck.

Fai swallowed his mouthful of peach cobbler. "…Hmm, a little, but it's not too bad."

"You want something for it?" Kurogane continued.

Fai considered him for a moment, amusement dancing in his eyes. "A kiss," he replied with a grin.

"Tch!" Kurogane blushed and turned his back on the elf as he dug out the calendula cream. "Idiot! I meant something like this!"

He tossed it at the elf who caught it deftly between his nimble fingers and examined the label curiously. "Cal-en-doo-lah…" he read. "What is it?"

"It'll help the bruises and sunburn," Kurogane explained, shifting his feet slightly in his guilt.

Fai licked his spoon clean thoughtfully, then gave Kurogane a soft smile. "Put it on for me?"

Kurogane snorted derisively and was about to tell the blond to take a hike… but then he remembered that it was his fault that Fai had those bruises in the first place. It was the least he could do, really. Kurogane sighed reluctantly and ran a hand backwards through his hair.

"Fine," he grumbled. "Take off your shirt, then."

Fai set down his spoon so that he could remove his shirt and allow Kurogane access to his rosy pink shoulders and injured neck. The farmer's warm, calloused fingers worked carefully, dabbing the cream lightly on the damaged areas of the elf's skin and massaging it into his cheeks and the tip of his nose which were red with sunburn. Fai closed his eyes, shivers running through his body in response to the pleasant, gentle touch.

Kurogane was about to put the cork back in the bottle, having finished applying the medicine to all the affected areas he could see, when he noticed that Fai's pointed ears had been burned as well. He shook a little more cream into his hand and began to dab it on the red patches when his fingers accidentally grazed Fai's golden earring. The elf gasped and pulled away slightly in pain.

"What," Kurogane said with a frown. "That thing hurt?"

Fai looked down at his knees and said nothing. The farmer brushed his golden hair aside to have a proper look at the area. Even though he had noticed the earring when he had brought Fai in that first night, he had always been more preoccupied with the piece of jewelry itself rather than the skin around it. Now that he examined it more closely, he realized that the skin around it looked red and inflamed.

"Looks like it might be infected," Kurogane observed. "The infection might spread if you don't remove that thing and put something on that ear."

Kurogane reached for the backing that held the earring in place with the intention of taking it off. To his surprise, Fai stood up rather abruptly, knocking his hands away.

"No!" the elf said sharply.

Kurogane stared at him in puzzlement but the elf wouldn't even glance at him. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on the wooden floor.

"I've had that earring for quite a while now and my ear has been like that since the day I got it," Fai mumbled. "The infection won't spread… I don't mean to be rude, Kurosama, but please don't touch it again, ok?"

Kurogane folded his arms stubbornly. Now that they were on the subject, he didn't intend to let it drop without making an effort to get some information about it. "What's it for?"

"…What?" Fai asked, the tone of his voice suggesting that he was shocked that Kurogane was pursuing the matter.

"If you're so determined to protect it, it must have some purpose," Kurogane reasoned. "What's it for?"

Fai was silent for quite a while and the dark-haired man thought he wasn't going to answer. Eventually, however, Fai spoke again.

"…Control…" he muttered.

"Control? Of what?" Kurogane pressed.

Fai turned his back on him. "Sorry Kurorin, but… I'd rather not talk about this anymore."

* * *

Fai made dinner for them again that night: rye bread and this strange dish that Kurogane had never heard of called tomato risotto which was simmered tomatoes stuffed with rice and grilled onion and seasoned with herbs. Apparently it was a favorite of the citizens of Alfheim. Fai seemed to have put the awkwardness of the attempted strangling and earring incidents behind him because he was chattering away and eating normally. Kurogane was somewhat relieved for the lack of hostile silence between them but Fai's loquaciousness was starting to get on his nerves a bit.

"So Kuropon has to go back to work tomorrow, hmm? What kind of things are on the agenda?"

Kurogane sighed, reluctantly compiling the list of tomorrow's tasks in his head. "I've got a few things to finish up here, then I have to take everything we harvested to the marketplace to sell. Probably be stuck there for at least a week."

The things he had to finish up were the remaining animals in the barn (aside from the horses), but since Fai was an animal lover Kurogane figured it was best not to mention that to him.

"Ooh, the marketplace!" Fai chirped excitedly. "I'll bet that's a fun place. I've never seen a human marketplace before…"

"Forget it," Kurogane said flatly, immediately picking up on the hint Fai had so subtly dropped. "You're not coming."

"Why not, Kuropiko?" Fai pouted. "I can help you sell your products! I'm sure a lot more people will come buy things from you if the person working your stand has a friendly smile instead of a grumpy doggy face!"

"Look, I'm gonna tell you this one more time before I kick your ass," Kurogane growled. "People around here don't like elves. If I bring you out to the marketplace, the busiest place in the whole freaking town, and someone finds out you're an elf, we're both screwed. So no matter how much you beg, no matter how good your reasoning is, you're not leaving this property as long as you're staying with me. It's too dangerous."

Fai pushed the remaining food on his plate around with his fork absentmindedly and sighed. "Mm… Well, can't blame a guy for trying, right?" he said with a regretful smile. "Oh, but that means Daddy will be gone all day, doesn't it? I won't even get to see you at lunchtime."

"I still don't see why it bothers you so much to spend a couple hours by yourself," Kurogane huffed.

"But I have to stay inside so no one sees me, right?" Fai reminded him. "It's so boring and lonely being in here all by myself with nothing to do."

"I'll let Inuki stay with you again," Kurogane said. "Anyway, I'm sure you can think of something to keep yourself busy. Don't you have any hobbies?"

Fai looked puzzled. "Hobbies?"

"You know, stuff you like doing?" the dark-haired man explained impatiently.

The elf poised a slender finger on his perfect lower lip as he considered this. Then he gave Kurogane a warm smile. "Spending time with Kurowanko!"

Kurogane rolled his eyes, but couldn't help blushing at the sight of that smile on Fai's face. "Besides that?"

Fai pondered the question again. "I don't know… I guess I've never really thought about it before."

"Don't be stupid," the farmer scoffed. "What do you mean you've never thought about it? How can you not even know what you like to do?"

Fai gave him an apologetic smile, and Kurogane could sense a strong undercurrent of sorrow from the elf. He got the feeling that this was another one of those topics that Fai didn't really want to talk about and decided that it wasn't worth pursuing so he let it go.

"You'll have plenty of time to figure it out while I'm gone, then," Kurogane said.

"I guess so, huh?" Fai agreed sadly.

An odd silence settled between them. Kurogane studied the elf thoughtfully. It seemed like Fai was really dreading spending time alone tomorrow.

"My stuff usually sells pretty well," he muttered, mostly to himself. "I'll have money left over…"

Fai tilted his head quizzically. "Money left over? For what?"

Kurogane was silent for a moment, then he realized what kind of reaction such an offer would probably draw from the blond and he flushed and shook his head. "Forget it."

"Hmm?" Fai grinned, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table and prop his chin up on his hands. "I wonder… money left over to bring me back a souvenir, perhaps?"

"D-don't be stupid!" Kurogane stammered. "Why would I waste money on something so pointless?!"

"Maybe Kuropuu was trying to cheer me up?" the elf suggested, reaching out to poke Kurogane's blushing cheek playfully.

"Quit being so damn arrogant!" the dark-haired man snapped, swatting his hands away. "Why would I want to buy an annoying bastard like you something anyway?!"

"Bring me back a fun human toy, ok?" Fai requested. "That way I'll have something to play with whenever Kuropin has to leave me to go to work."

"Idiot! I'm not getting you anything!" Even as Kurogane said this, he made a mental note to look for an inexpensive toy that Fai might like. Of course, he wasn't doing this because he wanted to see the look of joy on the elf's face when he gave him a present; this was only so that Fai would quit whining whenever Kurogane had to leave him by himself.

* * *

Fai winced as he gingerly removed his shirt so that he could put on a nightshirt, the fabric brushing against his sunburned skin creating a painful stinging sensation.

"Ouchy… I don't think I like sunburn very much," he said, touching his reddened shoulders lightly.

"Well, it takes a day or two for the calendula to work," Kurogane told him as he slid a few more logs into the fire that was blazing in his grate.

"Don't you ever get sunburn, Kuropii?" the elf asked.

"Not since I was a kid," Kurogane replied. "I'm used to working long hours in the sun by now."

"I wish there was something else I could do to help it feel better…" he sighed. "It's gonna be tough to sleep tonight if it hurts this bad when anything touches it."

Kurogane was silent as he probed the memories of his childhood, trying to remember what his mother had done for him whenever he had gotten sunburn as a kid.

"A cold bath might help," Kurogane suggested.

"A cold bath, huh?" Fai repeated thoughtfully. "That doesn't sound like very much fun."

"Well, it's either that or just deal with the pain," the farmer said a bit peevishly. "Besides, the water doesn't have to be icy or anything. It just has to be cool."

"And this is what Kurochuu's mother used to have him do when he had sunburn as a child?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah," Kurogane grunted. "You gonna do it or what?"

"Hmm, well, I've never taken a bath on my own the human way before," Fai said with an apologetic grin. "I might need a little help."

Kurogane stared at him, his cheeks flushing at the thought. "Are you freaking serious? How do elves take baths, then?!"

"Well, elves can control the weather back in Alfheim, so a lot of elves just create their own personal rainstorm," the blond explained. "Some use other magical methods. A lot of elf women like to bathe in the rivers, but the men don't usually do that."

"Well, it's not hard!" Kurogane insisted. "I'm sure you can figure it out on your own! Like hell I'm giving you a bath! You're not a little kid!"

Fai laughed. "Goodness, Kuropun sure is getting worked up over this, isn't he?"

"Damn right, I am!" the dark-haired man snapped, his face getting redder and redder as he tried to force himself not to think of Fai's beautiful, perfect body naked. "A guy giving a bath to another guy is just creepy!"

"It'll be fun!" Fai grinned. "We can even take it together!"

"DON'T BE A DUMBASS!!" Kurogane roared, his face blazing. "I'M NOT TAKING A FREAKING BATH WITH YOU!!"

"Would you mind getting me some water, Kurokuro?" Fai requested cheerfully, ignoring the embarrassed farmer's outburst. "We can't have a bath without that, right?"

"You're the only one taking a bath here, moron! Get your own damn water!" Kurogane said stubbornly.

"But I'm not strong enough to carry a pot of water that big," the elf pointed out, indicating the huge black pot that was sitting near the hearth.

Kurogane realized that Fai had a point, even if he didn't like it. Reluctantly, he retrieved the pot and carried it over to the door. "This doesn't mean I'm helping you take your bath, though," he informed Fai resolutely. "And I sure as hell won't take it with you."

Fai grinned disarmingly. "Of course not, Kuromyuu."

Kurogane surveyed him suspiciously through narrowed eyes, getting the distinct uneasy feeling that Fai was plotting something evil. The blond's all-too-innocent smile gave nothing away, however, so Kurogane just snorted and carried the pot out to the well where he began to fill it with water, one bucketful at a time. Inuki, who had been wandering around nearby, sniffing at various things of interest, noticed his master at the well and trotted over, his tail wagging. The dog plunked himself down so that he could watch Kurogane work, following the bucket with his eyes each time Kurogane pulled it up to dump the water into the pot. When the farmer turned his scarlet eyes on him, Inuki gave him a friendly little yip and wagged his tail again.

"What?" Kurogane grumbled. "Don't tell me you want a bath, too."

Inuki barked happily as if answering his question affirmatively.

Kurogane snorted and rolled his eyes. "Well, too bad."

Inuki tilted his head curiously, continuing to wag his tail. He followed Kurogane as he dragged the now-full pot back to the house and waited eagerly for his master to open the door.

"What do you think you're doing?" the dark-haired man growled as he jiggled the door open with his shoulder, his hands full with the heavy pot.

Unfortunately, before he could shoo the dog away, Fai caught sight of him.

"Inuki!" he cheered.

Inuki barked and was about dart inside when Kurogane stopped him.

"Stay!" the farmer said in his most commanding voice. Inuki paused and looked up into his master's face, silently imploring him to reconsider. Kurogane's expression was firm and unyielding, and even the dog knew better than to disobey when his master was making a face like that. He gave a little whine and lied down outside the door with his head on his paws.

"Wait, Kurowanwan!" he cried. "Don't send Inuki away! He can take a bath with us!"

"I already told you, idiot; I'm not taking a bath with you," the farmer insisted. "Anyway, dogs reek when they're wet. I'm not gonna let both of us get sick because of something stupid like that (3)."

Fai pouted as Kurogane ushered the dog outside and elbowed the door shut, not noticing that he hadn't quite gotten it shut all the way.

* * *

"Hauu… It's still cold, even though we warmed it up a little," Fai complained, shivering as he lowered himself into the wooden washtub which was filled with cool water and bubbles.

"That's the point, moron," Kurogane snipped back, blushing as he stared determinedly at the wall so that he wouldn't see anything as Fai got into the bath. "If the water's warm, it'll only make your sunburn hurt worse."

Fai picked up the wooden cup Kurogane had given him, filled it with water and splashed it on his stinging shoulder. "Ooh, that _does_ feel nice," he admitted, filling his cup again and splashing some on his other shoulder.

Kurogane chanced a glance at the blond. His face was tilted back as he poured some water over his burned nose and cheeks. The water slid down his hair and dribbled on the floor.

"Watch it, you're getting water everywhere!" Kurogane snapped.

"Hmm?" Fai said, peering over his shoulder to observe the puddle he was leaving on the floor behind him. "Oops… I told you I needed help, Kurorinta!"

Kurogane sighed, considering his options. Either he could sit here and stare at the wall and not allow his gaze to focus on the beautiful elf while Fai got water all over his floor which would have to be mopped up later, or he could go over there and help him and risk seeing something he didn't want to see but avert the mopping. With a snarl, the dark-haired man stomped over to the elf and snatched the cup from him. Fai smiled to himself as Kurogane dipped the cup into the water and poured it over his burns.

"Kuropin's so good to me," the blond sighed, resting his chin on top of his knees which were pulled up to his chest and scooping up a handful of bubbles. "Even though he grumbles a lot, he's still a sweetie pie underneath it all."

"Shut up," Kurogane muttered, blushing. "I am not. I'm only doing this because I don't want you getting water all over my floor."

"But you brought me in when I was hurt and took care of me so sweetly, and when I woke up, you gave me my favorite food, helped me with my medicine and bandages, let Inuki come stay with me when I didn't want to be alone and came to rescue me again when I collapsed after dancing last night," Fai recalled, ticking off the nice things that Kurogane had done for him on his fingers. "And today, you let me go see your animals, carried me out of the sun when it started to burn me, brought me more medicine and a special treat to help me feel better, offered to buy me a fun toy at the marketplace so that I wouldn't be so lonely and bored while you're gone, and now you're helping me with my bath."

He smiled at the scarlet-faced farmer over his shoulder and giggled when he saw how deeply he was blushing.

"Sweet, grumpy _and_ shy!" Fai sang joyfully, scooping up a few of the bubbles onto his finger and planting them on Kurogane's nose. "What an adorable combination!"

"Who's shy?!" Kurogane retaliated, dumping some water on Fai's head in punishment as he wiped away the bubbles. "You're just a dumb ass who makes up stupid crap to piss other people off!"

"Kurowanta is tsundere (4)!" Fai declared triumphantly as he wiped water out of his eyes. He laughed and clapped his hands. "Tsundere Kurochan! Tsundere!"

"Dammit! Screw this!" the farmer groused, throwing the wooden cup at the blond and turning away so that the elf wouldn't see how badly he was blushing.

Inuki, who had been biding his time just outside the door and waiting for the right time to make his entrance, bounded in, drawn by the sound of Fai's laughter, and joined with some happy barking.

"How the hell did _you_ get in here?!" Kurogane squawked.

"Hyuu hyuu! Inuki!" Fai cheered. "Come here, boy!"

The dog scampered to the elf's side, crouched down and leapt into the tub with him, sloshing water and bubbles all over the place.

"Dammit, Inuki!" Kurogane snarled, but his pet was having too much fun licking Fai's face to hear him. The elf scooped up another handful of bubbles and arranged them into a hat on Inuki's head. Inuki gave a short, joyful bark as if he was honored that Fai had bestowed the bubble hat upon him. Fai giggled and scratched the dog's ears, prompting Inuki to give him more kisses. As Inuki was licking with such enthusiasm, his tongue slipped and happened to swipe across Fai's earring. Fai gave a little yelp of pain. Kurogane was at his side faster than a bolt of lightning. He slipped his arm around Fai's chest and heaved him out of the tub, wrapping him quickly in a towel, and cradled him protectively in his arms like a child.

"Inuki!" he said sharply, glaring at the dog. Inuki's ears drooped, causing his bubble hat to sag pathetically, and his sopping tail stopped wagging. Kurogane stomped over to the door, which was still hanging open from when Inuki had burst in and pointed outside forcefully.

Fai shivered at the exposure to the chilly night air and snuggled closer to Kurogane's warm body until the farmer had shut the door again once Inuki had gone.

The elf smiled sweetly up at him again. "Looks like you saved me again, Kuronpyu."

Kurogane blushed as his brain now had time to process the fact that he was hugging Fai, who was wearing nothing but a towel. "Tch!" he spat, hurriedly setting the elf down on the floor and folding his arms. "Don't blow things out of proportion, dumb ass."

Fai grinned as he watched the farmer's flushed face in silence for a moment. "Cuddle me in bed tonight?"

"No," Kurogane said flatly.

"Poo," the elf pouted.

* * *

Kurogane let out a little snarl of irritation when he heard Fai get up in the middle of the night and creep over to the door, no doubt intending to go out for his nightly dance in the yard. Fai paused, wondering if he should apologize for waking his host but decided that that would probably just annoy him more. Making as little noise as possible, he slipped out through the door. Kurogane rolled over and pulled the blankets up over his head, this time opting not to go to the window and spend the entire night watching Fai dance. Just as he was about to drift off to sleep again, Yuuko's words from earlier in the day randomly floated into his head: _"Elves are quite a bit stronger than humans, even if they don't look it."_ This was followed by a memory of a claim made by Fai that evening: _"But I'm not strong enough to carry a pot of water that big."_

Kurogane groaned and buried his face in his pillow. That stupid bastard had tricked him into carrying his bath water. The farmer's mind bristled indignantly as he fell asleep once more.

* * *

The market place was bustling with activity by the time Kurogane, Syaoran and Watanuki arrived the next morning. Farmers sold their produce, fishermen sold that morning's catch, small-time glass blowers, metal smiths, tailors, carpenters and toy makers sold the products they had made and up-and-coming artists sold their paintings. It was a lively, colorful affair that sprawled over a good mile of the town where one could buy basically anything they wanted. As such, it drew a huge crowd almost every day of the week.

Kurogane and his two younger workers began to set up their stall. A small group of women flocked over even before they had finished laying out their wares. A few of the women fluttered their eyelashes and smiled seductively at him, then blushed and giggled to each other when he made eye contact. Kurogane clicked his tongue in annoyance and folded his arms, trying to relay the message that he wasn't interested.

This kind of thing was what he didn't like about being at the marketplace. For some reason, his stand seemed to be a draw for all sorts of strange women. Even his two young employees were not immune to their playful harassment. Syaoran flushed and hurriedly looked away when one girl leaned forward to take a peach from his side of the table, deliberately giving him a good view of her cleavage as she did so. Kurogane simply watched disinterestedly over his customers as they made their purchases until the voices of two ladies working a jewelry stand next door caught his ear.

"Did Toshihiko kun have a nice birthday?"

"I think so; he seemed happy."

"What did you give him this year?"

"I gave him a ball, but with the stuff that's been happening these past two weeks, I'm kind of afraid to even let him play with it in the yard…"

"Oh, you mean with the elf sightings and all that?"

When Kurogane heard those words, he could have sworn his heart stopped. Surely they couldn't be talking about Fai?!

"It's not just sightings, though. People's animals are being attacked and one family who lived up the road from us was killed when the elves set their house on fire!"

"I hadn't heard about that! That's terrible!"

"It's weird, though… Everyone who's seen them says there're only two. Don't elves usually attack in groups?"

Kurogane breathed a tiny sigh of relief. They couldn't be talking about Fai, then.

"I have it on good authority that there's actually only one elf and the other is a bewitched human. Probably some poor soul they kidnapped as a child and brainwashed."

"You mean like a changeling?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, I guess I'll have my husband put some pentagrams around our property. I don't want any elves coming near my family!"

"That's a good idea; I'll have my husband make some, too. I don't think I could bear it if they replaced Toshihiko with a changeling."

The women lapsed into silence for a moment, then said their goodbyes and parted ways, leaving Kurogane with quite a lot to think about. What would a single elf and a bewitched human be doing wandering around together in the human world? That woman had been correct when she had mentioned that elves usually traveled in groups. Kurogane had heard of dark elves making the human children they kidnapped into slaves or evil sorcerers but he had never heard of an elf taking the human out alone to the human world to make trouble for an extended period of time like this.

And then there was the matter of changelings… Kurogane didn't know this Toshihiko kid that they had been talking about, but even he couldn't help hoping that lady was able to protect her son. He had seen at least one family torn apart, both literally and figuratively, by a changeling. Even though he often acted cold and indifferent, that was one experience he could never wish on another person.

* * *

Fai quickly realized that if he was going to survive this day all cooped up in the house with no one but Inuki to keep him company, he was going to have to keep himself busy. He looked around for something to inspire him. That was when he noticed one of Kurogane's socks lying on the floor. He picked it up to find that there were small holes worn in the toes and heels. The elf amused himself for a while by mending Kurogane's socks.

To his disappointment, the only color of thread Kurogane had in his possession was black. Fai had rather been hoping for some hot pink so that he could stitch little hearts on them which would no doubt throw the farmer into a fit of adorable rage. The lack of pink thread didn't keep him from stitching the hearts into his socks, but since Kurogane's socks were also black, the elf doubted he would even notice them.

Eventually, however, Fai ran out of socks and grew restless again. He wanted to go outside and see the horses but didn't want to endanger himself or Kurogane by risking someone spotting him as he made his way to the barn. In his desperation for something to do, he even tried to tempt Inuki into chewing up one of Kurogane's newly mended socks so that he could fix it again, but it seemed that Inuki knew better than to do something like that.

He could feel himself starting to panic; Fai couldn't stand being basically alone in a dim enclosed space like this. The blond hurried to the door and opened it, letting the chilly November air inside. He felt a little better having the door open like this but knew he couldn't leave it open. Someone might just happen to pass by and notice and decide to come closer to investigate. He allowed himself to bask in the fresh air for a few moments, then started to close it again. Fai stopped, however, when a tree just a few feet from the house attracted his attention with its branches waving in the wind. The elf wondered if he could snap off one of the smaller branches and carve it into a flute (5). That would distract him for a while.

Fai poked his head outside cautiously and looked around to make sure there was no one in sight who might see him before dashing over to the tree. Quickly, he selected a branch about as wide as two of his fingers and jumped to grab hold of it. The dry wood snapped off easily under his weight. Fai brushed himself off and hurried back to the house. He spent a good twenty minutes searching for a knife that would be suitable for whittling and finally found one in a small chest in the closet. The blond sat down at the kitchen table and began to carve his flute. Inuki watched him work curiously for a while, but eventually got bored, yawned, and curled up for a nap instead.

As he shaped the instrument, Fai imagined sitting down next to Kurogane that evening and teaching him how to play it. It seemed a little bit funny to him, the idea of Kurogane having to be taught to do something when he seemed so knowledgeable and sure of himself all the time. Even though he knew there was no skill required to be able to get a sound out of this style of flute, he amused himself with fantasies of showing Kurogane how to position his lips on the instrument. The conversation in his head went something like this:

"_No, no, Kuropun; you have to kind of pucker your lips a little bit. Imagine you're about to give someone a kiss."_

_Kurogane would redden slightly at the analogy and try again. Fai would giggle at his unsuccessful attempt._

"_You've never kissed anyone before, have you, Kuropiko?"_

"_Th-that's none of your damn business! Anyway, who cares about something stupid like that?!"_

"_It's ok, Kurochan, no need to be so embarrassed. Here, I'll show you."_

"_H-hold on! What the hell do you think you're…!"_

_Kurogane would be silenced as Fai touched their lips together, lightly and chastely at first, pulling away slightly and letting them meet again, more passionately this time. Kurogane would drop the flute, push Fai down on the floor and kiss him fiercely, hungrily, suddenly understanding why people made such a big deal about their first kiss…_

Fai smiled to himself, a small, sad smile. As much as he wished something like that would happen, he knew the chances were slim. They simply didn't know each other well enough and Kurogane wasn't the type to enter into that kind of relationship lightly. Fai's heart ached as he remembered his Kurogane and how long it had taken to persuade him to allow that first kiss between them. It wouldn't feel right to engage in something like that with this Kurogane so soon after losing the one he had first loved.

Fai set aside his finished flute, the desire to try it out vanishing suddenly. It took all his effort to keep the tears that were welling up in his royal blue eyes from spilling over. What would Kurogane say if he came home to find the elf's eyes red from crying? He needed something else to distract himself.

The calendula cream that Kurogane had brought him for his sunburns and bruises sitting on the table before him caught his eye. He could occupy himself for a few minutes applying it if he went really slowly. Fai picked up the bottle, uncorking it and shaking a bit of the cream into his hand. As he dabbed it on the bruise around his neck, his thoughts turned to the incident in the barn where Kurogane had accused him of being a dark elf. Fai's heart ached at the memory of the betrayal and fury in Kurogane's eyes. He must have had some bad experience with dark elves; Fai could think of no other reason for him to have reacted so violently.

Obviously something had happened soon after to convince Kurogane that he had been mistaken, but Fai couldn't help feeling like he was deceiving his host. To say that he wasn't a dark elf wouldn't be entirely truthful, after all. Before he could do anything to stop it, memories of the conversation he had had with his mother all those years ago began to flood his mind.

* * *

"_Fai, sweetie… Come here, there's something important I need to talk to you about," Freya said._

_Fai allowed his mother to scoop him into her arms, studying her face curiously. She looked sad and worried and tired. This wasn't a terribly uncommon thing for her, but he still felt apprehensive when he saw her this way. He hoped he wasn't the cause of her distress._

"_What's wrong, mommy?" he asked nervously. "You look sad."_

_She was silent for a moment as she hugged and rocked him. "Fai, you know I love you very much…"_

"_I love you, too," he chirped, smiling at her in the way he knew always cheered her up. This time, however, his smile seemed to pain her even more. He could see tears gathering in her eyes. Fai quickly stopped smiling._

"_I think it's time I told you about your daddy," she breathed, kissing the top of his head softly as she continued to rock him._

_Fai's eyes widened in surprise. "But I thought you said you would tell me when I turn into a grown up."_

"_I know, but… Someone else found out about mommy's secret and if I don't do something now, I'm afraid something bad might happen…" Freya trailed off, hugging him even tighter._

"_Mommy, I can't breathe!" Fai choked._

_She hurriedly loosened her grip. "I'm sorry."_

_Fai looked up at her again worriedly. He had seen his mother in distress before, but never this bad._

"_Fai, your daddy…" she paused, drawing a deep shuddering breath. "Your daddy is a dark elf."_

_Fai gasped, his eyes widening to the size of saucers. "A dark elf… But they're bad!"_

"_I-I know," she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks._

_Fai lowered his eyes as his mind raced. Then he looked up at his mother again with fear in his gaze. "Does that mean I'll be bad, too, when I grow up?"_

"_Oh, of course not, sweetie," Freya breathed, kissing him. To be completely honest, though, she wasn't sure. She had never known anyone of mixed light-dark parentage, so she didn't know how these types of children generally turned out. "If you want to be good, that's your choice."_

_Fai breathed a little sigh of relief, but then looked confused again. "But everyone knows that dark elfs are bad. Why did you pick one to be my daddy?"_

_More tears coursed down Freya's face. "…Mommy made a t-terrible mistake…"_

_The tiny golden-haired elf was quiet as he tried to wrap his young mind around this shocking piece of information. "People have babies together when they're in love, right?"_

"_Yes…" she replied distantly._

"_Did you love him, mommy?" Fai asked._

"_...Yes," she answered._

_Fai took her hand between both of his, kissed her cheek and smiled at her consolingly. "Then it's ok, right? You didn't do anything wrong, so you don't have to cry, ok?"_

_His mother clamped her eyes shut, more tears spilling down her cheeks even as Fai tried to wipe them away. She took his tiny hands, stopping them from trying to dry her tears, and kissed them. "I'm af-fraid things aren't that easy… in the grown up world."_

"_What do you mean?" Fai asked, puzzled._

"_Well… dark elves can't…" She paused, trying to force down the lump in her throat so that she could speak intelligibly. "Dark elves c-can't be in love…"_

_Fai's brow furrowed as he attempted to understand this. "Then… then daddy didn't love you?"_

_She shook her head._

"_But how can you make a baby if you aren't in love?" he asked, thoroughly bewildered._

_If Freya hadn't been so brokenhearted, she might have smiled at her son's innocence. "That's something you'll f-find out when you're older… But… someone saw me and daddy together and they… they got suspicious… It's against the law… for a light elf to h-have a baby with a dark elf…"_

_Fai gasped, looking horrified. "Are you going to jail, mommy?!"_

"_T-tomorrow… Some doctors are going to come and do a test on you, and… and if they f-find out that your daddy was a dark elf, then…" She trailed off again, opting not to tell her son that the punishment for having a child with a dark elf was something far, far worse than imprisonment, and that he would be punished as well._

"_What are we going to do?!" Fai cried, his eyes starting to fill with tears now, too. "I don't want you to go to jail!"_

"_That's why…" She drew another deep, shuddering breath, bracing herself. "Th-that's why… I have to take you t-to the h-human world… I… I can't b-be your mommy anymore…You're g-going to have a human mommy…"_

"_No!" Fai shouted, hugging her tightly as he began to sob. "I don't _want_ another mommy! I want _you_!"_

_His mother's forced calm shattered at her son's reaction, and she began to cry uncontrollably right along with him. "I'm s-so, so sorry F-Fai! I…I don't want you to go either, but... If you s-stay, something terrible will happen! I c-can't… I can't let it! This is th-the only way I can protect you!"_

_Fai wailed loudly into her chest, clutching onto her as hard as he could. The two of them were so seized with grief that all they could do for a long time was cry in each other's arms. Or at least that's what they would have done if they hadn't been interrupted by that knock at the door._

* * *

"Blast," Kyle grumbled, kicking at the ashes of what had been, until fairly recently, a house belonging to a family of five. "He wasn't in this one either."

"Are you sure this was the town you left him in, Master?" the girl in the long, crimson, cloaked hood asked, prodding the smoldering ruins with her staff.

"Yes, I'm certain of it," he replied firmly. He pushed a strand of his dark hair behind his pointed ear. "It seems I overestimated the power of my uncle's spell… I simply assumed it would work in the human world just as well as it did in Svartalfheim (6), but…"

The dark elf trailed off with a sigh. "Chisei, are you sure you haven't seen anything in your dreams lately that might help us track him down?"

Chisei shook her head. "I'm sorry, Master; nothing."

Kyle's eyes narrowed. "I wonder if he made a run for it. It wouldn't be the first time."

"Perhaps I should go to a tavern and see what I can find out from the townspeople," Chisei suggested. "Someone might have seen him and I'm human so I'll blend right in without being suspicious."

Kyle nodded slowly. "Yes, that may be the best way."

Chisei put a hand on her master's shoulder. "Don't worry, Master; we'll find him."

The dark elf grinned evilly. "Naturally. And when we do, I'll teach him the true meaning of suffering."

* * *

Kurogane made his way home on Ginryuu that evening, the souvenir he had promised Fai tucked safely in the pocket of his cloak. It was a doll, a black dog filled with sawdust, a little black button for a nose and red half buttons for his grumpy-looking eyes. Fai had better like it; it had cost him more than he had been intending to spend.

The farmer put Ginryuu away in the barn and trudged back to the house. He hoped Fai would have dinner ready again; spending all day selling food had made him hungry. Kurogane opened his front door and was nearly knocked off his feet when someone darted out of his house and tackled him. His alarm gave way to puzzlement when he realized that the attacker was only Fai and puzzlement gave way to concern when he noticed how the elf was shaking.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked in a soft growl, trying to pry Fai off of him so he could get a proper look at him. The elf wasn't crying, but he looked like he might. His face was ghastly pale.

"K-Kurosama, please… please don't leave me alone in there again," he gasped.

Kurogane frowned as he hesitantly put his hands on Fai's shoulders. "Why? Did something happen?"

"…Please… I can't… It-it's too much like… please…"

Realizing it might be a while before he was able to get anything sensible out of the blond, Kurogane scooped him up and carried him inside. Fai wrapped his arms around Kurogane's neck, hugging him tightly as the farmer sat down with him. The dark-haired man was at a loss for what to do. Clearly something had happened to put Fai in such a state of distress and he needed to be comforted.

But Kurogane had never really needed to comfort anyone before; what should he do? Perhaps he should start by hugging him back. The farmer wrapped his arms around Fai's trembling frame uncertainly, holding him gently as if afraid he might shatter. Right, hugs, check. Now what? His hand drifted up to settle on Fai's hair and began stroking it softly without his brain's permission.

Kurogane could feel his face going red and waited for Fai to tease him for being cute or something stupid like that but no teasing came. Fai just hugged him and shook silently in his arms, his hands fisted in Kurogane's cloak as if his host was the only thing keeping him from vanishing into the night. The two of them sat this way for a long time, holding each other in silence. Finally, Fai took a deep shuddering breath and pulled away from Kurogane, a shaky smile on his pale face.

"Sorry, Kurorun. That was probably pretty awkward for you, huh?" he said, trying to inject some cheerfulness into his wavering voice. "I'm alright now. Thank you."

Kurogane let go of him, blushing as he pushed the elf off his lap. "You gonna tell me what that was all about now?"

Fai shrugged and smiled. "I got lonely."

Kurogane stared at him in disbelief. "You don't seriously expect me to buy that bullshit excuse, do you?"

"But it's true," Fai pouted. "I told you I don't like being alone."

"That was _not_ loneliness just now!" Kurogane snapped. "You were so scared you nearly pissed yourself!"

"Aww, Daddy's really worried about me!" Fai chirped. "How adorable! I love it when he shows his sweet, protective side!"

Kurogane gritted his teeth, trying to control the color in his face. "Dammit! Just forget I said anything!"

"Did you bring me a present?" the elf asked, beginning to search Kurogane's cloak pockets without waiting for his answer.

"Don't just search my pockets without asking, dumb ass!" the farmer growled.

"But I did ask!" Fai reminded him. "Ooh!"

He pulled out the stuffed dog.

"It's not that great," Kurogane mumbled, looking at the ground. "But it was the only thing I didn't feel like a total moron buying. The lady who sold it to me said she hoped my daughter would like it. Tch!"

Fai looked between the toy and the farmer, a grin spreading slowly across his face. "It looks just like you, Kurowanko!"

"Hah?!" Kurogane squawked. "That thing looks nothing like me!"

"It does! Look, he's got black hair and red eyes and a grumpy-looking face just like Kurowanta!" the blond sang.

"I'M NOT A DOG!!" Kurogane roared.

Fai smiled and leaned against him, pressing his lips gently to the dark-haired man's cheek.

"Thank you, Kurowanwan. I love it."

Kurogane's face turned almost as red as his eyes. "S-STUPID BASTARD!! DON'T JUST KISS ME WITHOUT ANY WARNING!!"

The elf giggled. "Would you have let me kiss you if I'd warned you?"

"Hell no!" Kurogane snapped.

"Then it's a good thing I didn't, right?" Fai grinned.

Kurogane was still seething as Fai pranced over to the table to retrieve the flute he had carved earlier in the day.

"Look what I made today while you were at work, Kuropyun!" he trilled, sounding for all the world like a five-year-old back from his first day at preschool. The blond presented the flute and hopped eagerly from one foot to the other as he waited for Kurogane's appraisal. Kurogane examined it.

"Hmph," he said finally.

Fai looked crestfallen. "What, that's all you have to say?"

"What did you want me to say?" Kurogane asked disinterestedly.

"I wanted you to pet me and tell me I'd done a good job," Fai pouted. "And then ask me to play you a song."

"You've gotta be kidding," Kurogane sneered. "You're not a little kid."

Fai stuck out his curled bottom lip, his eyes filling with crocodile tears.

"DON'T YOU DARE FAKE CRY!!" Kurogane roared.

"Ask me to play you a song," Fai whimpered.

Kurogane ground his teeth as he tried to keep himself from punching the blond in the face. It was really, really difficult. Finally, the farmer took a deep breath and reigned in his temper.

"Fine. Play something, then."

"Hyuu, hyuu! Kurokuro asked me to play him a song!" Fai cheered.

"Just do it before I change my mind," Kurogane grunted impatiently.

Fai put the flute to his lips and began to play.

* * *

Five-year-old Hatoko Kobayashi sat up in bed when the first notes of that haunting melody reached her ears, distant yet exceedingly clear. Where was it coming from? Hatoko closed her eyes and listened for a moment. It was such a beautiful song… She had to find out who was making that music. Dazedly she crawled out of bed, padded across the room to the door of her family's modest one-roomed house and opened it quietly. Had she been fully conscious, the cruel November wind might have burned her exposed legs, but the music… She had to get closer to it.

Her light footsteps on the dry grass made a slight crunching sound as she walked. Hatoko was so focused on the melody that she didn't even notice the other neighbor children being drawn out of their houses and joining her on her trek. All of them had the same thought in their hazy minds: they had to know who was playing that song.

Suddenly the song stopped, it's beautiful and mysterious notes vanishing as though they had been blown away by the night wind. As soon as the music stopped, the children awoke from their stupor as if they had received an electric shock. Hatoko looked around her, eyes wide with fear and glistening with tears. It was dark and cold and she had no idea how she had gotten there. Where was she? A few of the children started to cry. Some of the more level-headed ones swallowed their tears and began to look around for some landmark they recognized so that they could find their way home. And the men in the house across town, the two responsible for the whole thing, had no idea that anything had even happened.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm hoping to be able to wrap this up in three more chapters, believe it or not. Let's see if I can pull it off.

1) Calendula- Another name for a specific type of marigold. The flowers can be made into a cream and in the medieval times were a popular cure for minor external injuries such as bruises, sunburn, rashes, cuts and bee stings. It could also be ingested and used to help with ulcers and other internal ailments. It is still used today, but probably not as widely as it once was.

2) Back in the day when elves were still widely believed in, people used to make offerings to them because they were often considered to be on a similar level to gods. Also, it was kind of like a bribery; they hoped that if they made offerings to the elves, the elves would bless them and not bring them misfortune. Butter was a common offering.

3) In medieval times, people believed that bad smells caused sickness. Those who could afford it often carried bouquets around with them wherever they went so that they would have something nice to sniff if they came across something putrid and could thereby avoid illness. Silly medieval types.

4) The English language doesn't have a good equivalent for this term but it's such a great word. It's a shortened combination of two Japanese terms "tsuntsun" which means to be sharp and sarcastic and "deredere" which means to be love-struck. So basically, it's a person who acts mean and cold but is secretly in love. I think that fits Kurogane to a T, don't you?

5) Elves are said to be especially artistic, especially when it comes to music. Their talents also include drawing, sculpting, carving, etc.

6) Svartalfheim is the underground realm of the dark elves in Nordic mythology. Because they live underground and are said to be skilled miners and metal smiths, it is unclear whether dark elves are meant to be different than dwarves. They're different in this story, in case you're wondering.


	41. Adumbrate

**A/N: **Yay, spring break! I got a very interesting call the night before I left to go home. I was selected to receive a scholarship to study in Japan for a whole year starting next semester. Let's see, what's the proper word for situations like this? Ah yes: WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111oneone

…Ahem, anyway here's a little celebration for everyone. I hope you enjoy it. Here is the word "adumbrate" as defined by our friends at dictionary. com:

**Adumbrate **/a-**duhm**-breyt, **ad**-_uh_m-breyt/ _v. 1_. to produce a faint image or resemblance of; to outline or sketch_. 2. _to foreshadow; prefigure._ 3. _to darken or conceal partially; overshadow.

* * *

**Adumbrate**

_His heart, his breathing…it was too loud! Fai wiped the sweat that was practically pouring from his brow, trying to force himself to take deeper breaths as he flitted from shadow to shadow. They already knew he was out of bounds; they always knew. It was because of the damned earring; he wished he could just tear it out, but he already knew what would happen if he did. All that was left was for them to catch him and beat the snot out of him for trying to escape like they had the three other times he had attempted to break loose. _

_The dark elf foremen were approaching; Fai could hear them. Surely, even from that distance, they could hear his panting and his heart beating so hard it nearly burst from his chest. He could almost feel the whip of punishment on his back already. In an act of desperation, he tore across a short stretch of open field, leaving himself completely exposed to the eyes of the enemy, toward a tiny storage shack where he hoped he might be able to hide himself for a few moments while he caught his breath._

_Fai ripped open the door to the shack. He gave a small gasp of horror when he saw a tall, black-haired figure trying somewhat unsuccessfully to hide himself between the farming tools, blood red eyes glinting at him in the scant light. The man snarled at the sight of Fai, who was frozen with shock in the doorway of the shack as the shouts of dark elf voices grew closer. Before Fai's stunned brain could react, the stranger reached out and snatched his thin wrist, jerking him inside, and pulled the door shut behind him._

_Even though his poor heart had managed to withstand the terror of being chased by the savage dark elves so far, Fai was sure it would give out on him now. Somehow, in his carelessness and desperateness to escape, he had run right into the arms of a dark elf. Obviously, his escape attempts hadn't been met with much success in the past, but none of them had ever played out like this before. _

_The dark elf in question clamped his hand over Fai's mouth to muffle his loud, harsh breathing, hugging him so tightly to his muscular body that the blond was sure he would be crushed. He didn't dare make a sound, though. The foremen were drawing dangerously close to their hiding place. Fai hardly had the presence of mind to wonder why this dark elf was hiding in here, holding him in strict silence, his heart pounding with a fury to rival Fai's, and not handing him over to the enemy. All he could think was _"Please… please don't let them find me…"

_Suddenly, the door to the shack flew open with such force that it was nearly torn off its hinges. The foremen had found them. Before Fai's mind could even begin to react, the odd, dark stranger tossed the slender blond over one shoulder like a sack of potatoes so that he could lash out at the other dark elves fiercely with a scythe that he had grabbed from the miscellaneous tools around them. _

_The dark elves shouted in surprise and leapt back to avoid being slashed in two. Fai held on to the other elf tightly, trying to stay in place as the dark-haired elf swung the scythe again and again, clearing the foremen out of his way so that he could make a break for it. Unfortunately for the two of them, their success was rather short-lived. One of the foremen muttered a spell, shooting something long and silver at the rebellious dark elf. _

_The muscular elf shouted in pain and surprise as he was suddenly struck down, a shining, magical spike spearing straight through his left hand and pinning him to the ground. A nearby foreman used magic to bind Fai's legs together and his arms to his sides before grabbing his pointed ear and jerking him painfully to his feet. The dark elf who had pinned Fai's would-be savoir to the ground drew a sword from the sheathe at his side and positioned it over the captive's neck, clearly intending to behead him. Fai tried to turn away, but the dark elf who was holding him forced him to watch._

"_And what do you think you're doing?" a smooth, cold voice asked from a short distance away._

_The foremen started in surprise at the voice of their king, Fei Wang Reed. For a moment, there was silence. It was clear from the expressions on their faces that the foremen knew that they had done something that they shouldn't have but the hint of confusion there suggested that they weren't sure exactly what that thing was._

_Eventually, the one who had been about to kill the rogue dark elf spoke up. "These slaves were trying to escape, Your Highness. When we found them hiding in the shed, this one tried to kill us with a scythe."_

"_So you thought you'd kill it in return, is that it?" Fei Wang asked icily. _

_Ah, so that was what he was angry about. Fei Wang stepped forward and grabbed the offending foreman by the throat, lifting him off his feet._

"_Slaves are valuable and the only one who will decide when one will be killed is me," he hissed. "You almost beheaded my best sword maker."_

"_F…forgive...me…S-Sire," the foreman choked._

_Fei Wang sneered as he dropped his henchman on the ground. He stepped over the gasping, sputtering figure to address the dark-haired slave who was trying to jerk the spike out of his bleeding hand. The king of the dark elves lowered his boot onto the slave's forehead and applied pressure. Fai watched in stunned silence as his would-be savior gritted his teeth against the pain, determined not to give the evil king the satisfaction of a shout._

"_You're lucky you're so skilled at sword making, slave," Fei Wang smirked. "Otherwise I would have happily let him kill you. But don't think that means you'll receive any leniency in your punishment."_

_The king removed his boot from the slave's forehead and savagely kicked the magical spike that was still securing him to the ground, causing the slave to at last give a strangled grunt of pain. He turned to his foremen again._

"_Lock them both up and give them a good whipping. Three days without food."_

_With that, the dark elf turned his back on all of them and returned to the castle._

_By the time the cell door slammed behind him with a cruel clang, Fai was exhausted and bleeding badly. He could still hear the whip cracking mercilessly outside the holding chamber. The other slave was getting it even worse than Fai had, not only because he had tried to kill the foremen, but also because he had protected Fai. The blond put his hands over his pointed ears and clamped his eyes shut, trying to block out the sounds of the torture going on just outside the wooden door. _

_He tried to distract himself by contemplating the extreme weirdness of the situation. Fai knew that dark elves were evil and that they were cruel to everyone, even each other, but he had never heard of them taking their own kind into slavery. Perhaps he was mistaken, but he was pretty sure that other slave had had pointed ears like an elf and his black hair and red eyes told him that it was very unlikely that he was a light elf. But if he was a dark elf, why had he done anything to help Fai? A dark elf would never act so selflessly. Perhaps he, like Fai, was a dark-light mix?_

_When the whip stopped, but the shouts of pain didn't, Fai realized that the foremen were probably giving his fellow slave what they liked to call "the salt treatment". Fai shuddered. He had had to endure the salt treatment once himself and he could still remember the blinding pain it had brought. It was a favorite of the foremen when they felt that they had been insulted; they would whip a slave bloody and then rub salt in his wounds until they got bored or until they ran out of salt. Fai felt awful. If it hadn't been for him, the other slave might have been able to escape. Instead he had been caught and was now facing worse torture than Fai himself had received. _

_Fai wasn't sure how long it was before the torture finally stopped but it seemed like a long time. To his surprise, the other slave was still fighting when the foremen brought him in. He struggled furiously against the binding spell and when one of the dark elves was busy unlocking his cell, the slave spit in his face. The foreman snarled and smacked the slave hard across the face before tossing him into the cell so that he landed on his bleeding, wounded back. Both of them were silent as the dark elves slammed the door shut, their voices fading away as they left the small prison area behind. It took a while before Fai worked up the nerve to say anything._

"_Ah, excuse me."_

"…_Huh?" the other elf grunted. "You talking to me?"_

"_Mm, well, I just wanted to ask if you're alright," Fai said._

_The other elf snorted derisively. "What the hell do you think, asshole? Those bastards just whipped the shit out of me and put salt on my cuts."_

_Fai couldn't help but smile weakly. The other slave was right; that had been a pretty stupid question. Still, it had gotten the conversational ball rolling._

"_But I'll live," the dark-haired elf continued bitterly. "No thanks to you."_

_Fai's little smile vanished. He was right, of course, and Fai felt terrible about it. "I'm sorry… Would you like some water? I can wash the salt out for you."_

"_How? There's no water in here," his fellow slave pointed out. "Those bastards put a cap on everyone's magic to keep them from using it to escape, so it's not like you can just make some appear."_

"_I'm a house slave," Fai explained. "They let us keep weaker versions of the magical abilities that are useful in our jobs. Isn't that true for slaves who work outside the house?"_

"…_Hmph. Guess I'll take it then," the other elf said._

"_There's a loose brick at floor level in the wall between us," Fai told him. "You should be able to see it if you move the cot aside. I'll push the brick out, ok?"_

_Fai heard the dark-haired elf struggle to his feet and slide his cot aside as quietly as possible so as not to alert the dark elves to their actions. The blond moved his own cot with similar care and pushed the large, loose stone block into the other slave's cell._

"_I'm Fai, by the way," Fai said._

"_Kurogane," the other elf grunted as he lied down on the floor, his back facing Fai to allow him access to his wounds._

_Fai muttered some magical words and weak streams of water began to flow from his fingertips. He could see the muscles in Kurogane's back becoming a little less tense as some of his pain was relieved with the washing away of the salt._

"_Kurogane, hmm?" Fai mused. "I don't think that's a cute enough name for the one who so bravely defended me back there. How about Kurosama, or Kuropipi, or Kurotan?"_

"_What the hell?" Kurogane growled. "I risk my ass for you and this is the thanks I get? Some stupid girly nicknames? I should punch you."_

"_But it's how I show that I'm grateful," the blond insisted._

"_Well, I don't need it," Kurogane huffed stubbornly._

_A silence filled the gap between them, one that might have been awkward had they not both been so exhausted. Eventually, Fai finished rinsing the other elf's wounds._

"_I think that should do it," Fai panted. Using magic under the restraints the dark elves had put in place was always extremely tiring. He tried to wipe his sweat away with a pale, trembling hand. "Are you feeling any better, Kuropin?"_

"_Hmph. I thought I told you not to call me those stupid names, bastard," Kurogane groused half-heartedly. "…Doesn't hurt so bad anymore, though. Maybe I won't punch you this time."_

_Fai didn't know him well enough to be sure, but he thought that might be the other slave's gruff way of saying thank you. Kurogane sat up, and Fai caught sight of his still-bleeding hand through the hole in the wall._

"_Oh, your hand…" Fai said._

"_It's nothing," Kurogane grunted, but the blond elf could tell it was causing him serious pain._

"_Don't be silly, Kurowanko," Fai scolded lightly. "That spike went all the way through it. Let me wash it out for you, ok?"_

"_Are you a complete dumb ass?!" Kurogane snapped. "You look like you're about to die after just washing off my back! I'm not letting you use any more magic on me!"_

_Fai was silent for a moment. It was true that washing the cuts on Kurogane's back had left him feeling quite weak and with three days of no food ahead of him, it would be nearly impossible for him to regain any energy except through sleeping. But if Kurogane didn't tend to his hand, he might never be able to use it again, and Fai saw the injury as being mostly his fault. He couldn't just let it bleed like that._

"_At least let me wrap it for you," Fai requested, tearing a long strip of cloth from his tattered shirt._

_Kurogane mulled this over reluctantly for a moment before giving a sullen grunt and sticking his bleeding hand through the hole. Fai whispered the water spell as quietly as he could and was able to rinse the other elf's wound a little as he wrapped it. As soon as Fai had tied the makeshift bandage, Kurogane jerked his hand away._

"_You moron," Kurogane growled. "I told you not to wash it. You trying to kill yourself?"_

"_I just wanted… to make up for… getting you caught…" Fai panted, closing his eyes and not even bothering to wipe his sweaty brow again. "I know it's… not much, but… it's all I can do, so…"_

"_If there wasn't a wall between us, I'd kick your ass," Kurogane grumbled._

_The blond laughed weakly. "You have… a funny way of… showing gratitude, Kuropon."_

_The dark-haired elf grumbled indistinctly. _

"_Hey, Kurochii? Actually, I was wondering… if you could do me a little favor," the smaller elf said, still breathing hard._

"_I should've known you weren't doing this for nothing!" Kurogane snarled._

"…_Let me see your face?" Fai asked softly._

_Apparently Kurogane had not been expecting the request to be something like that because he hesitated uncertainly, as if turning it over in his mind and searching for some sinister ulterior motive behind it. "What?" he said eventually. "What for?"_

"_Well, I didn't really… get a good look at you before… since it was so dark and… you were kind of squirming around… when those foremen brought you in here just now," the blond explained. "I'd just like to know… what my brave rescuer looks like…"_

_Kurogane made a strange little noise, a mix of scorn, surprise and embarrassment. "Look, I don't know what you're picturing in that weird little head of yours but it wasn't like I saved you because I give a crap about you or anything! You were gonna give away my hiding place if I didn't do something!"_

"_I know," Fai admitted. "But still, I appreciated it…"_

_Kurogane huffed sullenly and got down on the ground again so that Fai could see him through the hole in the wall. When his royal blue eyes met Kurogane's scarlet ones, Fai's breath caught in his chest. The light elf half of him made him a strong appreciator of beauty and his rescuer certainly qualified as a natural work of art. If he had had the strength, he might have reached out to caress Kurogane's handsome face. Kurogane looked a bit surprised by Fai's appearance as well (though it may have only been shock from how ghastly and exhausted Fai looked after expending so much energy on magic) and the light elf thought he might have seen a slight blush blossoming on Kurogane's tan cheeks._

"_Hmph… You look like hell," Kurogane mumbled. "But it's your own fault for using your magic so stupidly."_

_Fai managed a tiny, tired smile. "Well, naturally, Kuromyuu is… good-looking, even though he's not… in the best shape right now, either."_

"_Tch!" Kurogane spat. He was definitely blushing now. _

"_Red eyes and dark hair, hmm?" Fai said thoughtfully. "Unusual traits for a light elf…"_

_Actually, Fai seriously doubted that Kurogane was a light elf; he had never seen a light elf with traits like that. He could clearly see Kurogane's pointed ears, and while the point wasn't nearly as pronounced as Fai's, it was he clear he wasn't human. Kurogane really looked like a dark elf, but Fai didn't want to risk insulting him with such an accusation if his guess turned out to be wrong._

_The other elf frowned at him in what looked like disbelief. "_You're_ one of those light guys, right?"_

_Fai gave a miniscule wry smile. "You might say that…perhaps."_

"_Then are you seriously that stupid or are you just trying to piss me off?" Kurogane sneered._

"_Mm?" Fai said, puzzled._

"_Anyone with half a brain can see I'm not a light elf."_

* * *

Kurogane studied the elf from across the breakfast table. Fai was shaking as he picked unhappily at his food.

"What's up?" Kurogane asked gruffly, though he was pretty sure he already had a good idea of what was bothering Fai.

Fai gave him a pained smile. "…Kurowanko is leaving me again today, right?"

Kurogane sighed. Just as he had thought: the elf was worried about being alone again. If there was some way to avoid it, Kurogane wouldn't leave him by himself. He just didn't see any way around it; he had to go sell his produce at the marketplace and Fai couldn't come along or people might find out he was an elf. Even allowing Fai to spend the day outdoors would be dangerous as he might be seen, and since it was late November it was getting pretty cold outside anyway. There was also the small problem of Fai not being able to handle sunlight.

"I wish I could go with you…" Fai said in a small, pleading voice.

The farmer considered his request as he finished off his eggs. After Fai's reaction to being left alone yesterday, it was clear that this was not just the elf being an idiot as usual: Fai had a serious complex about being by himself in an enclosed space. Was there a way that he could ensure that Fai's identity as an elf wouldn't be discovered? If so, he would be able to bring the blond with him to the marketplace.

"Most people can only tell an elf by their pointed ears…" Kurogane said slowly. "If there was a way to hide your ears, it might be safe for you to come along."

Fai's eyes went so wide it was almost comical. "Eh? You…you'll really take me with you, Kuropipi?!"

"Well, last time I left you here alone, you freaked. Last thing I need is you going crazy on me," Kurogane grumbled. "You're bad enough when you're normal."

Fai stared at him, his eyes glimmering with unshed tears of gratitude.

"Hey, hold on!" Kurogane shouted, panicking slightly at the sight of Fai's tears. "You better not cry, you idiot!"

Fai laughed sheepishly as he sniffled at wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "Sorry, sorry. I'm just so touched that Kurorin would put himself on the line like this just for my sake."

"Tch! A-anyway, I still don't know how we can pull this off," Kurogane continued forcefully. "We need a hat or something…"

He trailed off thoughtfully. Fai watched him hopefully, silently begging him to come up with an answer. After a moment, Kurogane got suddenly to his feet and wandered over to a wooden chest in the corner of the room that Fai hadn't really paid much attention to before. The farmer rummaged around in it for a moment and reemerged with something made of heavy brown cloth which he handed to Fai. The elf turned it over in his hands curiously. It was a newsboy cap. Fai grinned up at him.

"Is this yours, Kurotan?" he chirped.

"Well, the last time I wore that thing I was about fifteen years old, but yeah, it's mine," Kurogane replied, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Try it on. It should fit you since you're so puny."

Fai slipped the cap on so that it covered his pointed ears and looked back up at Kurogane with a sunny smile. "This fits pretty well, I think. How do I look, Kuronpu?"

Kurogane was momentarily stunned. Fai was pretty cute normally, but with that hat he looked downright adorable. The farmer cleared his throat as he felt his face heating up slightly. What on earth was the matter with him? He didn't need to get all tongue-tied just because Fai was wearing a stupid hat. Was he turning into a severe pansy or what?

"It'll work, I guess," he said, turning his back on the elf so that he wouldn't notice him blushing. It was too late, though; Fai had already seen.

"Hmm? Are you blushing, Kuromyuu?" he asked joyfully, getting up from his seat at the breakfast table so that he could look at Kurogane's face. Naturally, this only made the farmer burn brighter.

"Get away from me, idiot!" Kurogane growled. "I'm busy!"

"Ooh, now even Kurowanko's ears are turning red!" Fai giggled. "How sweet! Does this hat really look that good on me?"

"This isn't the time for screwing around!" Kurogane snapped. "We still don't know how we're gonna get you there without you getting sunburn again!"

"Ah…Hmm, that is a problem, isn't it?" Fai agreed, his smile diminishing.

"What the hell?" the farmer frowned. "You act like you just remembered that you can't handle sunlight. Isn't this something you've had to deal with for a while now?"

Fai shrugged easily, casting his gaze aside. "…I haven't always had that problem."

Kurogane's frown deepened as he waited for Fai to explain but there was no further information. He sighed and rolled his eyes; seriously, he was getting sick of all these stupid secrets but he knew he had no right to demand answers from the elf. Anyway, they had a more pressing issue to deal with at the moment.

"We just need something to cover your skin until we get to the marketplace," Kurogane said slowly. "Our stand has an awning over it, so you'll be fine once we're there."

"Do you have a spare cloak?" Fai asked. "Maybe Kurosama's magic wooden chest of clothing can help out again."

Kurogane snorted. "Maybe, but I dunno if anything in there's gonna be long enough."

The farmer returned to his trunk of old clothing and dug through it again. Fai went to peer curiously over his shoulder.

"What about that one?" Fai suggested, pointing to a folded, pale blue garment lined with fur (1).

Kurogane gave him a withering look. "That was my _mother's_."

Fai appeared to not be listening; he just reached over his host's shoulder and plucked the cloak out of the chest, shaking it open to its full size. "Oh, how pretty! Did she make this herself?"

"My mother made all our clothes," Kurogane admitted. "But that's not the point! No way in hell am I'm taking you anywhere if you're wearing women's clothing!"

Fai was already draping the cloak around his shoulders and pinning it shut in front. "It's fine," he assured him. "Men can wear blue, right?"

"The color is fine, but any idiot can tell that this was made for a woman!" Kurogane snapped. "It's got that fur lining and that pin thing! No self-respecting man would ever be caught dead in that!"

"Don't be such a party pooper, Kuromin," Fai said calmly. "Besides, look at how well it suits me!"

Fai had a point there; his mother's cloak did look perfect on him. But that didn't change things. That was still a woman's cloak and Fai was not a woman. There was no way in hell he was taking Fai out dressed like that. He had tolerated a lot of weird shit from the blond, but this was where he drew the line.

"Take that stupid thing off or you're staying home," Kurogane said firmly. Fai looked into his eyes and saw the resolution there. The farmer's mind was made up and nothing in the world could possibly change it.

* * *

When Syaoran and Watanuki showed up at Kurogane's place to help him load their goods into the cart, their eyes were met with quite a sight. There was Kurogane, arms folded irritably across his chest, his face set into a scowl of severe displeasure, his scarlet eyes stubbornly avoiding those of the tall, thin blond man grinning away beside him who was dressed in a brown newsboy cap and what appeared to be a woman's cloak. The two boys looked warily at each other, making a silent agreement not to say a word about the cloak. They had worked for their boss long enough to guess that this was probably at least one source of his anger.

"Good morning, Kurogane san," the boys said in unison.

"Hn," Kurogane grunted sullenly, not looking at either one of them.

"Good morning!" Fai said cheerfully. "Say good morning like a nice doggy, Kurorin."

"I'm not a freaking dog!" Kurogane snarled. "And what did I say about those damn nicknames?!"

"Hmm… I don't remember you saying anything," Fai grinned.

"I said not to call me that girly shit!" he raged.

Fai waved his complaints aside amusedly. It had been a while since Kurogane had complained about the nicknames and the blond was pretty sure that he was only doing it because the boys were there. "Now, now, Kuropyon, calm down. I told you, it's how I show that I love you. You should accept my love!"

"Like hell I will!" the farmer spat.

"So, are you two Kurorinta's helpers?" Fai asked the boys sweetly.

"Um, I guess so," Watanuki agreed hesitantly. "I'm Watanuki Kimihiro."

"I'm Li Syaoran," Syaoran said.

"Fai Flourite!" the elf chirped. "Nice to meet you!"

"Are you a friend of Kurogane san's, Fai san?" Syaoran asked.

"I sure am!" Fai trilled, latching on to the other man's arm, much to Kurogane's horror. "Kurochuu and I have been best friends ever since we were kids!"

Kurogane shot Fai a sidelong glance but opted not to say anything. After all, it was much easier to explain their relationship by saying that they were childhood friends than by admitting that Kurogane had found the elf in a field with the shit beaten out of him and just decided to bring him home. Apparently, that answer wasn't what Kurogane's two young employees had expected, however.

"Ehh?! Really?!" the two of them gasped, looking between the two older men in shock.

"Of course," Fai grinned. "Are you surprised to find out that Kurokuro has friends?"

"Oh, no!" Syaoran assured him quickly, quailing under Kurogane's glare.

"Of course not!" Watanuki insisted. "It's just that you two seem like such opposites, it's hard to imagine you getting along! And I don't remember him ever mentioning you before…"

"Mm? You mean Kurochii doesn't confess his undying love for me every day at work?" Fai asked, feigning shock as his eyes filled with crocodile tears. "How mean, Kurowanta! I thought you cared about me!"

The elf launched into a fit of fake sobbing. Kurogane seriously considered strangling him.

"Um, but I could be mistaken!" Watanuki piped up. "Actually, I'm sure he's talked about you a few times!"

"Yeah!" Syaoran squeaked. "I'm sure I remember him talking about you just the other day!"

"Don't give into this bastard!" Kurogane warned irritably. "He's faking it! And you, quit whining or you don't get to come along! We're gonna be late opening our stand and it's all your freaking fault! Enough screwing around!"

Syaoran and Watanuki had been a bit skeptical when Kurogane had said that Fai's crying was fake but they saw that it was true when the blond immediately stopped, his previous cheerful demeanor returning almost magically as he began helping the farmer load his goods into the wooden cart. The two boys exchanged brief looks of puzzlement before joining Fai in loading while Kurogane went to get a horse to pull the cart.

* * *

Kyle stared at the modest tailor shop before him. Fuka's Tailor Shop. This was the place he had been searching for; he was sure of it. He remembered that sign above the door even though it had been a few months since he had last been there. Now that he saw the place, he felt a little silly. Why had he thought he had been looking for a farmhouse?

"Is this the place, master?" Chisei (2) asked. "When I asked around at the tavern about a woman named Fuka (3), this is the place they said we could find her."

"This is it," Kyle grinned, the bad mood that had been plaguing him all week suddenly lifting in the face of his success. "We'll be together again, soon, Fai."

"What will we do with the woman, master?" Chisei inquired. "She's bound to resist us when we try to take what she thinks is her child."

"Kill her," Kyle said easily. "Humans are filthy scum, anyway. The fewer of them there are, the better."

Chisei nodded once silently. Kyle had to move carefully to ensure that his bewitched cloak continued to cover every inch of his skin as he opened the door. The last thing he needed was to turn to stone when he was so close to retrieving his prize. Bells attached to the door jingled as the two visitors let themselves in. At first the shop appeared to be empty, but a few seconds later, a glum, harassed-looking woman with long brown wavy hair appeared to greet them.

"Can I help…" the woman began but she stopped abruptly when Kyle pulled off his hood to expose his pointed ears.

"Good morning," Kyle said, feigning pleasantness. "It's Fuka, isn't it?"

Fuka said nothing, but her eyes widened in horror and her face went ashen.

"We're looking for your son," he finished with a wicked grin.

"…Y-you…!" Fuka gasped. "You're the ones who switched him!"

"That is correct," Kyle confirmed. "And we'll be taking him back now, if you don't mind."

"You're too late!" Fuka spat acidly. "I already got rid of that sick abomination!"

Kyle stared at her for a moment, then laughed quietly and shook his head. "I'm sorry; for a moment I could have sworn you said you got rid of him. I hope, for your sake, that I was mistaken."

"You heard right, you filthy piece of elfin shit," the tailor snarled, snatching a pair of scissors from the table beside her. "You'd better give me back my real son right now if you don't want these iron scissors driven right through your putrid heart."

Kyle made a small noise of distaste as she brandished her scissors at him and gestured for Chisei to deal with them. With a few well-chosen magical words, Chisei ripped the scissors from the other woman's hands and tossed them across the room where she couldn't reach them. Once the offending iron was out of the way, Kyle stepped forward and grabbed Fuka's throat. She choked and squirmed in his grip futilely.

"What did you do with him?" Kyle hissed, all pretense of humor now gone from his pretty face. "If you killed him, I assure you I will take very great pleasure in doing the same to you."

"As soon as I found out he wasn't my Yuui…" Fuka gasped, "I took him to a field… just outside of town… where I beat him within inches of his miserable life (4)… That was three weeks ago… I hope to God that disgusting creature is dead."

With that, Fuka spit in Kyle's eye. Kyle's face twitched in revulsion before he snapped her neck easily with his bare hands with such force that her head was separated from her body. He dropped her remains to the ground so that he could wipe the saliva away. There was a brief but heavy silence hanging between Kyle and Chisei for a moment before the girl tentatively broke it.

"What will we do now, master?" she asked. "Do you think she was telling the truth?"

"There's no reason to doubt her," Kyle answered stonily, "but Fai is alive. I can feel it. And he's somewhere close by."

"But if she beat him within inches of his life, then…" Chisei trailed off uncertainly.

"It means one of two things," the dark-elf said. "Either she didn't beat him as severely as she thought and he was able to get up and walk away afterwards, or someone took him in and helped him get back on his feet again. Our only choice is to continue searching as we have been and hope we come across him before he begins to suspect that we're looking for him. After all, he only knew that I would come for him at _some_ point. He had no idea _when_ that would happen."

Chisei nodded and tapped her staff uneasily on the wooden floor.

Kyle sighed impatiently. "My Fai has been a very naughty boy, trying to hide from me like this. He should have killed the woman and continued to wait here until I came for him like we agreed. Now he'll have to be punished."

He grinned evilly at the young sorceress. "I am so looking forward to it. I just love hearing him scream for mercy."

Chisei said nothing. Kyle took the few steps toward the door so that he could lock it and turn the sign in the window from "open" to "closed".

"We might as well wait here until darkness falls," Kyle reasoned aloud. "I was willing to brave the sunlight because I thought my dear Fai would be here waiting for me, but now that I know he's being such a bad boy there's no point in going out again."

The dark elf proceeded to close all the curtains and then make himself comfortable in the dead woman's house.

* * *

Kurogane glanced furtively in the elf's direction when he heard him give a small gasp beside him as they entered the outskirts of the marketplace. Fai's eyes were wide and sparkling with wonder, his head turning back and forth curiously as he tried to take in each stand they passed. The farmer had to bite the inside of his lip to prevent a little smile from sneaking onto his face. It seemed that his two young farmhands had no such reservations.

"You like this kind of atmosphere, huh, Fai san?" Watanuki grinned.

"Is this really that different from the marketplaces where you come from?" Syaoran asked interestedly.

Kurogane stole another peek at Fai as the blond hesitated with his answer. The dark-haired man could tell he was trying to decide how to best reply while giving away the least amount of personal information possible.

"Hmm, well, actually, I never made that many trips to the marketplace, even back where I came from," he said finally with a pleasant smile. "Somehow that job always seemed to be given to someone else…"

"What's _your_ job, then?" Watanuki inquired innocently.

Fai hesitated again, and Kurogane started slightly when the elf's royal blue eyes suddenly turned on him to find him staring. A mischievous, amused smile appeared on Fai's lips as Kurogane hurriedly looked away, trying not to blush.

"Ah ha ha… to tell the truth, it's a little embarrassing," Fai grinned, rubbing the back of his neck in mock shyness. "I'm a maid!"

Clearly, this was not the answer the boys had been expecting.

"Eh?! A-a maid?!" they squawked in unison

"That's right," Fai chirped. "At Kuro-goshujin sama's house!" (5)

"Wh-_WHAT_?!!" Kurogane sputtered, his modest blush flaring up in response to Fai's joke.

"It's not easy, let me tell you!" Fai continued cheerfully. "Kurokimi leaves his laundry all over the floor every day, and he always insists that I wear nothing but an apron while I work. He's very demanding!"

"K-Kurogane san…" Syaoran stammered, his cheeks bright red. "Is…is that true?"

"OF COURSE NOT!!" Kurogane roared, blushing even more deeply than either of this farmhands as passersby began to stare. "THAT BASTARD'S MAKING THE WHOLE THING UP!!"

"But he always gives me plenty of kisses and presents and cuddles me for hours when he gets home from work, so I guess it's worth it," the blond finished, seemingly oblivious to all the strange looks they were getting. Fai looked over at the dark-haired man beside him and giggled fondly at the sheer murderous intent gleaming in his crimson eyes. Kurogane turned to the wagon that was carrying their produce and drew out the long, shining knife he used to cut the meat for his customers, holding it threateningly before him, his hands shaking with barely controlled rage.

"How would you like it if I cut you into little pieces and sold you right along with the salted beef?" he hissed dangerously.

"Oh no!" Fai squealed gleefully. "Daddy's angry!"

"Um, K-Kurogane san!" Watanuki interrupted desperately. "We've reached our stand and people are already waiting for us! We should hurry and set up shop, shouldn't we?"

Kurogane glanced to his left and saw that Watanuki was right; the usual gaggle of eager women was hanging around, waiting for the farmer and his helpers to open for business.

He put away his knife and grabbed Fai roughly by the front of his mother's cloak.

"Don't think this means you're getting out of anything," he snarled. "As soon as we get home, I'll kick your ass!"

Fai laughed unconcernedly and tweaked his nose. "You're so cute when you're angry, Kuropyun."

Kurogane snorted and blushed as he pushed Fai under the awning and got to work unloading the cart.

* * *

"…Wow! I'm impressed, Kuropiko!" Fai trilled as he sliced into the meat to get a cut that a customer had requested. "This meat is really top quality, huh?"

"Of course it is," Kurogane grunted, taking a woman's payment for a dozen peaches. "But what do you know about meat? I thought you didn't like it."

"I don't," Fai agreed. "But I used to do a lot of cooking so I learned a few things… Just look at this marbling!" (6)

"Gotta have something that sets your stand apart from the other guys or no one will make a point to come to yours," Kurogane explained shortly, though the elf could tell he was pleased by Fai's appreciation of his wares. "Besides, I don't believe in doing a half-assed job. There's no point in doing something if you're not gonna give it your all."

"You would say that, wouldn't you, Kurochuu?" Fai said with a fond smile. "…Hmm, but something tells me that Kurowanwan's yummy produce isn't the only thing that draws all these pretty girls to his stand."

"Hmph. I don't care about that," the farmer scoffed. "It's more of a hassle than anything. Anyway, what about you? You're getting plenty of attention from them yourself."

"I _do_ like getting attention from girls," Fai admitted, gracing the girl he was serving with a sunny smile and drawing a blush and coy grin from her.

"Tch," Kurogane sneered, rolling his eyes.

"Still, even if Kuromyuu doesn't respond to them, it still hurts a little, right here," the blond confessed quietly, indicating his heart. He smiled when Kurogane looked at him. "I wonder if this is what it means to be jealous."

Kurogane's brows knitted together as he stared at the beautiful elf, seemingly puzzled. "Don't be greedy, idiot; you're getting plenty of attention from them. And like I said, I'm not interested."

Fai looked slightly surprised. "Silly Kurokuro. It's not you I'm jealous of. I… I want Kurochan to look only at me."

Kurogane blushed. No way; Fai was just messing with him again. There was no way he meant that. The farmer swallowed and averted his eyes, mumbling something that the blond, even with his superior hearing, couldn't make out over the chatter of the crowd.

"Hmm? What was that, Kuropin?"

"…I said to quit saying weird shit like that, 'specially when so many people are around," Kurogane huffed. "Someone'll get the wrong idea."

Fai pouted at him a little before slipping his smile back on to serve a sweet young brunette girl shyly told him her order. Kurogane sighed, relieved that the elf hadn't heard what he had really said: "Isn't it obvious that I already am, dumb ass?"

"Excuse me, sir, but could I get a pound of cured pork, please?" a very unhappy-looking middle-aged woman with long black hair requested of Fai once he had finished assisting the younger girl.

Fai blinked in surprise at the sheer weight of the gloom and agony she radiated and gave her a sympathetic smile. "Of course, ma'am. Any particular area you wanted?"

She indicated the cuts she desired and Fai began to fill her order, wrapping the meat in paper for her.

"Thank you, young man," she said wearily as she took the packages from him. "It's refreshing to see such a handsome smile in upsetting situations like these."

Fai watched her go curiously before looking up at the farmer. "Goodness, she sure seemed upset about something, didn't she?"

"That was the mother of a girl that my friend Sakura chan babysits…" Syaoran piped up nervously. "I hope everything's ok."

Watanuki looked worriedly at the other three. "Actually, one of the customers I was helping earlier mentioned something about a bunch of kids being found wandering outside in the middle of the night and this morning, lost and crying. Apparently there are at least three kids who weren't found…"

The three of them traded uneasy glances while Kurogane just frowned thoughtfully. Could this have something to do with that single elf and human who were reportedly roaming the area and causing trouble that he had heard those other women talking about the previous day? Kurogane certainly had his suspicions, but he didn't think it was a good idea to make any accusations about elves when there was one standing right beside him.

* * *

"Phew! That was hard work!" Fai sighed as he helped Kurogane toss the final empty crate into the back of the cart. The two boys had already been allowed to go home and Kurogane and the elf were about to do the same now that they had finished cleaning up their stand for the day. It wasn't especially late, but since it was November the daylight was starting to fade earlier and earlier. The moon was already visible in the darkening afternoon sky.

"I'm tired!" Fai panted. "I don't know if I have the energy to walk all the way back to Kuromun's house. Unless maybe Kurorin carried me…"

"I'm not carrying you," Kurogane said flatly.

"How mean," the blond whined. "I'm delicate, Kurochii, like a princess. That means you have to treat me like one or else I might break!"

"You're fine," Kurogane growled. "Quit being such a damn baby."

There was a very brief silence between them before Fai interrupted it again. "Ouchy, my feet are sore…"

The farmer made a very dog-like snarl in the back of his throat. "Fine! We'll ride in the stupid cart then! Jeez, even those kids don't whine half as much as you do!"

"Hyuu hyuu!" Fai cheered, clapping joyfully. "A cart ride with Kuronta! How exciting! I've never ridden in a wagon before!"

"It's not that big of a deal," Kurogane grumbled, though to tell the truth, he might have been looking forward to this… just a little.

He helped Fai into the back of the cart before getting in with him. The elf sat down right next to Kurogane, cuddling up happily.

Kurogane was about to spur Souhi into a nice steady trot when he recalled Fai's antics that morning and his promise to kick Fai's ass when they got home. Perhaps this was his chance for revenge. Kurogane allowed himself an evil grin and flicked the reigns against Souhi's neck, signaling the horse to take off at a high speed. Fai squeaked in alarm and clutched Kurogane's arm for support.

"Slow down, Kuropipi!" Fai pleaded as they tore down the narrow cobblestone road. "This is too fast!"

Kurogane's smirk broadened as he ignored the blond's request, keeping Souhi at his present breakneck pace. "No way; it's payback time, bastard. This is for all the shit you've given me!"

Fai clamped his eyes shut and hid his face in Kurogane's shoulder as he hugged the farmer's muscular arm so tightly it hurt. Kurogane turned his scarlet eyes on the trembling elf and tilted his head in surprise. Fai was shaking rather violently and Kurogane thought he might have even heard him whimpering.

"K-Kurosama, please… please stop!" The blond was genuinely terrified. Kurogane let out a sigh and signaled for Souhi to slow way down as his stupid conscience got to him. Now that they were going at a much slower pace Fai's grip on Kurogane's arm had loosened, but he didn't stop shaking.

"Jeez, can't even take something like that after all the screwing around you do," Kurogane grumbled guiltily. "Don't dish out what you can't take yourself, moron!"

The elf said nothing to defend himself; he just sat there, trembling and hugging Kurogane's arm.

"Hey… you gonna make it?" Kurogane asked in a much gentler voice than he had intended as he ruffled Fai's golden hair with his free hand.

"If… if it's ok with you, Kuronpyu, I… I think I'd like to walk the rest of the way," Fai replied weakly, too relieved that he was still alive after that to tease the other man about being cute for worrying about him.

Kurogane clicked his tongue in exasperation and ordered Souhi to stop so that the two of them could get out of the cart. The farmer hopped out first, helping the shivering blond out after him. As soon as Fai's feet were on the ground, he wobbled precariously as his weak knees threatened to give out on him and had to clutch onto Kurogane again for support.

"Don't tell me you can't even walk now," Kurogane growled.

"Sorry," Fai said softly, a weak smile tugging at his lips. "I guess I'm still a little shaken up so my legs are kind of like jelly. I…I just need to sit down for a minute."

Kurogane rolled his eyes as he crouched down and gestured for Fai to get on his back.

"We don't have time for that," he groused. "Once the sun goes down, it gets pretty cold and wild animals start to come out."

The elf looked at him in surprise for a moment before climbing on uncertainly.

"You're such a wimp," Kurogane mumbled, his cheeks reddening as Fai looped his delicate arms around his neck. "We weren't even going that fast."

"And _you're_ such a meanie, Kuropun!" Fai pouted. "I told you I'd never done it before! You have to go slow at things when you're first starting out!"

Then the elf sighed and laid his cheek on Kurogane's shoulder. "But maybe it was worth it if Kurochii will carry me like this. I like riding Kuromin much better than I liked riding that cart."

"Tch! Idiot!" Kurogane spat, his blush increasing as he took Souhi's reigns again and began leading him towards home. "Don't say stuff that sounds dirty!"

Fai giggled quietly as he wrapped his spindly legs around Kurogane's waist and nuzzled his nose playfully against the farmer's neck. "But it's so funny to see Kurowanta get all flustered. A shy Kuropon is even cuter than an angry Kuropon."

"I'll put you back in that cart if you don't shut the hell up," Kurogane threatened. Fai fell silent, instead amusing himself by allowing his eyelashes to lightly tickle Kurogane's skin as he batted his eyes. The dark-haired man swallowed hard and tried nervously to pick up the pace. The sooner he got the flirtatious elf off of him, the better.

Kurogane led Souhi in silence in the increasing darkness for a long time and eventually he began to wonder if Fai might have fallen asleep. His cheek was resting warmly on Kurogane's shoulder and his breathing was deep and relaxed. Therefore, when Fai suddenly spoke, it startled the farmer and made him jump.

"What's that, Kuropyon?" he asked.

"What's what?" Kurogane snapped. "Don't talk so suddenly like that after being quiet for so long! Jeez, give me a freaking heart attack!"

Fai laughed. "I'm sorry. I had no idea that Kuromuu was so jumpy!"

"Tch!"

"I was just looking at that door in the side of the hill," the elf continued. "See, there's some pretty flowers planted there and a welcome mat… it looks like someone's living there."

Kurogane followed Fai's finger with his eyes, squinting through the darkness.

"Oh, that," Kurogane said unconcernedly. "That's a högfolk house."

At the sound of that word, Fai's limbs suddenly felt as though they had turned to jelly again. If Kurogane hadn't already been carrying him on his back, his legs probably would have given out on him.

"H-Högfolk…?" Fai repeated faintly.

"_Anyone with half a brain can see I'm not a light elf."_

"_Then…you don't mean you're a da—"Fai gasped._

"_Don't you dare accuse me of being one of those fucking dark-elves!" the other slave interrupted forcefully. "I'm a högfolk!" _(7)

"_Hmm? A what?"_

"_Högfolk!" Kurogane repeated impatiently. "Don't tell me you've never heard of us!"_

_Fai smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Kurochuu. I've been a slave since I was pretty young. They don't teach us anything here except for stuff we can use in our work."_

"_We're an intermediate race," Kurogane explained, "a mix between humans and elves."_

"_A mix, huh?" Fai echoed thoughtfully. "I know all about being a mix... It's tough sometimes, huh?"_

_The dark-haired slave shrugged. "I'm sure we don't have it worse than anyone else."_

"You… you have… a lot of h-högfolk living around here?" the elf choked.

The farmer shrugged. "Not that many. A lot of people don't really like 'em; they think they're too much like elves so they're afraid to go near 'em."

"And… what do you think of them, Kurobun?"

"I don't mind 'em," Kurogane shrugged. "They've got as much right to be here as anyone else. Besides, it's not like they cause trouble or anything. Not like you."

Fai said nothing. He felt light-headed and dizzy with grief and a sudden rush of painful memories. His Kurogane's house… had it looked like that one? Hearing this Kurogane say that word as they stood outside the dwelling of one of his Kurogane's people was almost more than Fai could take.

"What's up?" Kurogane asked. "You're shaking again."

Fai closed his eyes and clung to the farmer's back. "Nothing, just… I'm c-cold…" he lied.

Kurogane hesitated for a moment. Then he plucked Fai off of his back and held him in his arms, trying to warm him by cuddling him against his chest. Fai couldn't tell if Kurogane had believed his lie but to tell the truth, he really couldn't bring himself to care. He curled up in the farmer's strong arms, biting his lip in an effort to prevent himself from crying. Fai bit his lip so hard that he could taste blood in his mouth, but it didn't keep the tears from falling.

* * *

"Damn, I'm hungry," Kurogane sighed as he put Fai down on the bed and hung up his cloak. The blond said nothing, instead keeping his head lowered so that his lush bangs hid his red rimmed eyes from sight.

"You want anything?" the dark-haired man asked from his place near the hearth where he was working on starting a fire.

Fai took a deep breath and let it out slowly, willing his voice not to shake as he answered.

"No thanks… I…I'm not feeling very well," he mumbled. "I think I'd just like to go to bed early, if that's alright."

Kurogane looked slightly concerned but didn't try to stop the elf as he climbed shakily into his futon and pulled the covers up over his head. Fai really wasn't sleepy; in fact, he'd be very surprised if he ended up getting any sleep that night. He worried that as soon as he closed his eyes and let himself drift off that the nightmares would come and he would be assaulted by the horrible memories of that day… But had no other choice; he really just wanted to be alone right now and was pretty sure that if he so much as looked at the farmer, he would start bawling his eyes out.

* * *

It was a good hour and a half before Kurogane addressed him again. He had finished cleaning up after his dinner and came to kneel at Fai's side, setting a steaming mug of something on the floor right in Fai's line of view. Apparently he knew that Fai wasn't really sleeping. The blond shifted his head slightly in a questioning motion, but was careful not to actually look at the other man.

"Tea," Kurogane grunted. "It'll settle your stomach and warm you up."

After another couple moments' hesitation, Fai sat up wearily, his back to Kurogane as he picked up the mug of tea. The elf took a cautious, reluctant sip. Kurogane didn't leave when Fai accepted the drink, and the blond was surprised to find that he didn't want him to.

"Hey, K-Ku…um…" Fai began hoarsely, unable to say Kurogane's name. "Do you think maybe… just for a little while…"

Kurogane didn't need Fai to finish his sentence; he already knew what the blond wanted. Without a word, he scooped the slender elf into his arms. Kurogane's touch was firm yet soothing, and Fai felt a small portion of his suffering being alleviated as one of the farmer's warm, calloused hands rested comfortingly on his lower back, the other bracing his head against his broad shoulder. Fai let out a wavering sigh and tried to relax in his embrace while he took another sip of his tea.

His Kurogane had never been free to hold him like this. There had always been someone watching and if their relationship had been discovered, _when_ it was discovered, the effects had been… Fai could feel his throat tightening again painfully, the delicate fingers of his free hand clutching weakly at the farmer's shirt. Was it wrong of him to accept this? Should he not seek comfort from the loss of his lover in the arms of his mirror image? Was it disrespectful to his Kurogane's memory? Thinking about it made his head hurt. In the end, he decided that it made him feel like a traitor. He set down his half-empty mug and separated himself from his host. Kurogane made no move to stop him but Fai sensed that he was waiting for some sort of explanation.

"Sorry…," Fai whispered half-heartedly as he crawled back under his blankets, his back still facing the other man.

Kurogane hesitated, wondering if he should ask Fai if he wanted to talk about whatever was bothering him. Eventually he decided against it. Fai would talk if he felt like it. If Kurogane tried to press him for answers, he knew Fai would just dodge his questions. With a sigh, he got to his feet, slid two more logs into the flames in the fireplace and retreated to his own bed.

* * *

It might have been two in the morning when Kurogane was awakened by the sound of Fai sneaking out to perform his nightly dance in the yard. The dark-haired man sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes, wondering if Fai had been lying awake that entire time. Whatever had happened to make him so upset on their way home had obviously really been bothering the elf. Kurogane wouldn't be surprised if Fai hadn't slept a wink. For some reason, that thought stirred the slightest feelings of sympathy from him. Fai had been appreciative at first the last time Kurogane had tried to offer him comfort. Perhaps it was time for him to try again.

Kurogane sighed and slid out of bed, heading towards the hook where his cloak was hanging. On his way, he noticed the outline of something long and smooth on the table in the dying embers from the fireplace. It was the flute Fai had carved the previous night. For some reason, Kurogane felt the impulse to bring it with him so he picked it up as he wrapped his cloak around his shoulders.

Fai hadn't started dancing yet. He was still stretching when Kurogane reached him. The blond paused for a moment when the other man arrived but then began again as though he didn't notice him standing there. Kurogane watched him flex his slim but muscular limbs, the moonlight highlighting his pleasant contours. The silvery glow made him look softer somehow and more fragile, like he might break if Kurogane touched him.

"…How unusual for Daddy follow me outside," Fai remarked, his voice now sounding smoother and calmer than it had the last time they had spoken. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Kurogane shrugged, trying to be nonchalant, but he could feel his cheeks getting a little bit hot. "Just wanted to make sure you weren't going to do anything stupid."

Fai pouted. "Why would I do something stupid?"

The dark-haired man frowned at him. "You tell me."

Fai considered his challenge for a moment, but decided to ignore it and instead tilted his head back to gaze at the night sky. "The stars sure are pretty tonight, aren't they?"

"…Hah?" Kurogane said, caught off guard. He had been trying to ask Fai what was wrong and somehow the elf had changed the topic to stars. "What are you mentioning those things for?"

"They're nice," Fai replied elusively. "Don't you ever take time to look at the stars?"

Kurogane raised an eyebrow at him. "Why should I?"

Fai let out a small laugh which might have been a bit forced. "I guess humans really don't appreciate nature, huh?"

The farmer frowned at this accusation and tilted his head back to study the night sky. He supposed stars were kind of pretty.

"I love stargazing," Fai said quietly. "Stars tell the future. Did you know that, Kurosama?"

Kurogane snorted doubtfully. "Sounds like crap to me."

"It's true," Fai insisted. "You just have to know how to read them. Would you like me to show you?" (8)

Without waiting for his answer, Fai lied down on his back in the grass and tugged on Kurogane's cloak to signal that he should join him. Reluctantly, the farmer got down on the ground beside him, folding and arm behind his head.

"So? What's gonna happen, then?" Kurogane asked, a hint of mocking disbelief creeping into his voice. Fai was silent for a moment as he studied the shapes in the sky.

"…Hardship for both of us," the elf said slowly. "Considerable hardship… unpleasant surprises… betrayal…"

Fai grinned weakly at him. "It looks pretty bleak."

Kurogane rolled his eyes. "Seriously, that's it? Is that the best you can do? That's pretty damn pathetic."

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Fai asked, looking surprised.

"Anyone can make up vague, ominous shit like that," Kurogane sneered. "Of course we'll face that stuff; everyone does at some point in their life. Can't you be more specific?"

Fai frowned slightly and turned his face back to the sky. "I can't read what's not there, Kuropon. I'm just telling you what it says."

Kurogane clicked his tongue, a sign that he was not impressed. "If you thought something stupid like that would scare me, you're even more of a dumb ass than you look."

The elf glanced at him again. "You're not even a little bit worried?" he asked with a slight grin.

"Hell no," Kurogane scoffed. "Are you?"

"Hmm… maybe a little," Fai admitted.

"Well, you're an idiot," the dark-haired man replied bluntly. "Anyway, I can tell the future just as well as you can."

"Can you, Kuropuu?" Fai asked, looking amused.

"Sure, watch; some bad shit will happen, and after that, some good shit will happen," Kurogane said. "That's my prediction."

Now it was Fai's turn to snort doubtfully. "That's your prediction?" He laughed.

"What?" Kurogane groused. "I just did the same exact thing you did. What makes you think yours is so special?"

Fai hesitated, seemingly thinking something over. Then his grin broadened and he looked Kurogane in the eye for the first time since the högfolk incident earlier that evening.

"Are you trying to make me feel better, Kurochan?"

Kurogane's cheeks reddened slightly. "Don't be a moron. I was just trying to show you how stupid you looked trying to tell the future from those damn stars."

Fai shook his head. "It sounds to me like Kurosama is trying to tell me in his usual, gruff, Kurowanwan-sort of way that even if bad things happen, he'll see me through them and we'll be happy together when they're over."

"Th-that's not what I said at all!" Kurogane snapped, his cheeks turning an absolutely adorable shade of red. "Quit putting words in my mouth! You suck at reading me even more than you suck at reading the stars!"

"Whatever you say, Kurochuu," Fai grinned. He reached over to take Kurogane's hand and was surprised to find the farmer's thick fingers closed already closed around something. "Is… is that my flute you're holding?"

Kurogane looked down at the item in his hand as if he was just now noticing it himself. "Hmph. Guess so."

"What did you bring that out here for?" Fai asked curiously, taking it from him.

Kurogane shrugged. "It was sitting on the table when I went to get my cloak so I picked it up."

"Shall I play something for you?" the elf offered sweetly, lifting the instrument to his lips.

"Do what you want," Kurogane grumbled.

Fai smiled at him as he sat up and began to play.

The doors of homes containing children all over town all opened simultaneously, the half-conscious youngsters drawn out of their warmth and into the freezing night wind once more.

* * *

(1) Although farmers didn't typically have money to buy expensive dyes for their clothing in the medieval period, working outside with plants gave them plenty of access to ones that could be used to make pale dyes like yellow or blue. Also, it wouldn't be terribly uncommon for a farmer's wife to have garments lined with the fur of small common animals like rabbit or squirrel. Clearly my research into this matter was overdue as I carelessly mentioned Kurogane having black socks in the last chapter. It seems that black and crimson were the two most expensive colors of dye and would certainly not have been available to someone of Kurogane's status OTL

(2) Ah, Chisei… I forgot to mention it in the last chapter when I introduced her, but she's not an OC; she's a CLAMP character. I don't want to give anything away at this point, though, so I won't say any more about her. I promise, all will become clear about her in later chapters.

(3) Actually, Fuka is meant to be Kohane's mom from Holic. She was never given a name in canon so I created one for her. It's spelled with the kanji for "sudden" and "change", because, like her Holic counterpart, she was a normal, loving mother until her baby was replaced with a different one. That's when she suddenly turned sour.

(4) According to folklore, if your child was found to be a changeling, you could get rid of the elf baby and restore your own by doing one of two things. The first way, as related in British folklore, was to show the elf baby (who is not really a baby at all, apparently, but rather an old male elf. What the hell.) something really strange that he's never seen before. He will be so shocked that he will have no choice but to say something along the lines of "I am now 800 years old, and this is the first time I have seen the likes of that." His speech activates some sort of spell that reverses the change. The second way, as detailed in German folklore, was to beat the shit out of the elf and this would somehow cause the elf baby to vanish, leaving the real child behind. Babies born with disabilities were often thought to be changelings and this was how their parents rationalized brutalizing and killing those "defective" children. Medieval people were sick and twisted, huh?

(5) Technically, the translation for "goshujin sama" is "husband" but this is what the maids in Japanese maid cafés call their male customers, and in that situation it is translated as "master". "Kimi" also means "master".

(6) This really has nothing to do with anything, but you can tell if steak and other beef cuts are high quality by the amount of marbling it has. Marbling refers to white streaks of fat scattered throughout the meat. Thank you, nutrition class.

(7) Högfolk, as mentioned in the story, are an intermediate race somewhere between elves and humans, though I don't think a child produced by a human mating with an elf would be considered a högfolk. They are an entirely separate race. The translation of the word means "hill people", which comes from the facts that they make their homes in burrowed-out hillsides (kind of like a hobbit, only I believe they're the same size as the average human). There isn't a whole lot of information about them in folklore as far as I've been able to find, but from what I've gathered, they have a unique brand of music and view the fact that they are neither fully human nor fully elfin as something to mourn about. I didn't think Kurogane seemed the type to get all worked up over that sort of thing, though, so I made him more comfortable with his membership in the species than is typically portrayed.

(8) According to folklore, elves are adept star-readers and can tell the future as well as stories about past events by looking at the stars.


	42. Quirks

**A/N: **So, taking a little break from the miniseries to indulge in a little plot bunny (Sorry! Please don't hurt me!). I'm going through KuroFai withdrawal again, and I'm afraid that shines through rather obviously with the amount of gratuitous snuggling and kissing that goes on in this installment. But seriously, I feel like the KuroFai fandom has been dying a slow and painful death. I know this wimpy, lame-o fanfic isn't going to stop that, but I decided to make an effort anyway. Especially since I think Clamp's been shortchanging our favorite couple in these recent chapters. They have deaths to avenge with FWR, too. Why the hell are they just floating around in some stupid bubble while Syaoran does all the ass-kicking? If anything, I would say he's got the least reason of any of them to get to take on FWR. But whatever. Clamp are the masterminds here; all I can do is pout as they send my favorite series of all time to hell. Enjoy my plot bunny. It takes place post series, maybe along the same timeline as "Lone", "Silky", and "Bloom", **so there are ****some spoilers****! **(Ahh… Why do I feel the need to apologize for this…?)

**Quirks**

Fai was really an oddball. Kurogane figured that out early in their journey, so it wasn't like he had no idea what he was getting himself into when he proposed that Fai stay with him in Nihon once their quest was over. But it wasn't until they were living together as lovers that Kurogane really noticed the extent of Fai's natural curiosities. It seemed that every day, he discovered another one of Fai's strange little habits. While each of them was endearing, the ninja couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't noticed them all sooner.

Perhaps it was better this way. Uncovering Fai's personal oddities now that they were together made them seem more special, almost like they were an extra, unexpected reward for all the hard work Kurogane had put into getting to this point with the blond. Kurogane was only a little embarrassed to admit to himself that he really treasured these seemingly unimportant parts of Fai, almost as much as he treasured the more significant parts. By the end of their fifth month of living together in Nihon, Kurogane had not only learned what most of Fai's quirks were, but also when he could expect them to appear.

_Sleeping_

Kurogane loved to watch Fai sleep. He was just so beautiful and peaceful-looking, his eyes closed lightly, lips parted slightly, golden hair framing lightly flushed cheeks. There was no teasing, and no meaningless chatter; just quiet, serene perfection. Fai always slept on his stomach, his hands resting on either side of his head on his pillow. He didn't tend to move around a lot in his sleep, except on the rare occasion that the magician was having a nightmare (Kurogane was proud to note that Fai's nightmares, which had been so frequent in the past, had lessened significantly since their arrival in Nihon).

Kurogane found that by running his fingers lightly across Fai's warm, velvet cheek, he could draw a quiet purr of pleasure from the other man. When he heard that soft, contented noise, Kurogane had no choice but to kiss Fai's silken lips. Fai would sigh happily, returning the kiss gently in his sleep and shift closer to the reassuring warmth of his lover's strong, solid body. Kurogane was glad to hold him close and lightly stroke Fai's golden hair until he fell asleep with the blond snuggled up in his arms.

_Awakening_

When Fai woke up in the morning, he always followed the same steps. First, his gorgeous, jewel-bright eyes would flutter open and he would blink slowly, exactly three times before sitting up. Once in the upright position, Fai would rub the sleep from his eyes and stretch his arms above his head in a leisurely fashion. Upon noticing Kurogane watching his wake-up ritual, Fai would treat him to one of his gentle, heartbreakingly beautiful smiles. God, Kurogane loved his smile, especially now that he knew it was for real.

"Good morning, Kurochan," Fai said cheerfully. He always brushed his bangs back from his face with one hand as he gave Kurogane his morning greeting, and today was no exception.

"Hmph," Kurogane grunted. It wasn't an irritated or exasperated "hmph", it was an amused "hmph", tinged with Kurogane's signature brand of adoration, one that anyone but Fai would have found barely perceptible.

The ninja bridged the distance between him and his beloved in two strides and scooped Fai easily into his arms. Fai giggled as Kurogane lifted him off their futon on the floor and cuddled him against his chest. Kurogane lifted Fai's chin, cupping his cheek in one large, tan hand so that he could kiss his lips. Fai, thinking that the kiss was simply a morning greeting (not noticing that it doubled as a response to his adorable set of wake-up quirks), accepted it happily and without question.

_Eating_

Fai's eating quirk was so subtle that it even took sharp-eyed and attentive Kurogane a while to notice it. When he first started his meal, there was nothing really strange about the way Fai ate (aside from the fact that he was still trying to get used to chopsticks). He consumed his meal at an even pace, starting with the foods that he simply tolerated and saving the ones he liked best for last. Although it took a decent amount of time and determination on Fai's part, he was starting to get used to Japanese cuisine and had even managed to find a few dishes that he really liked.

It was at the end of his meal that his curious little habit surfaced. Fai always saved his miso soup for last because it was his favorite common Japanese food. When he lifted the final spoonful to his lips, he always flipped the spoon upside-down inside his mouth before pulling it out again. He only did this when he was taking his final bite. For some inexplicable reason, Kurogane found that this simple action caused his chest to be flooded with affection for the slender blond wizard.

"Hmph," Kurogane snorted amusedly to himself upon seeing Fai perform this action that morning at the breakfast table. Fai took a sip of his tea, not noticing the effect his curious eating habit had had upon Kurogane.

"Hey," the swordsman said.

The sound of his voice attracted Fai's attention, prompting him to look in Kurogane's direction. Kurogane cupped Fai's cheek lovingly and kissed his tea-flavored lips. When they broke apart, Fai flashed him a slightly puzzled smile, wondering why Kurogane had chosen to kiss him at such a random moment. He didn't ask about it, though; he didn't want his lover to think that he was complaining. After all, Kurogane's kisses were always welcome.

_Studying_

Although Fai had given up the magic in his right eye to Yuuko in order to pay for Kurogane's prosthetic arm, he still had magic in his left eye which he had retrieved from Syaoran's clone. Therefore, it wasn't all that unusual for Kurogane to find Fai curled up in the chair in their room, reading a book on magic from Princess Tomoyo's collection. Kurogane noted that before Fai began studying, he always paused to tuck his hair behind his left ear (though he never did the same to his right ear, which Kurogane thought was strange since Fai was right handed). As soon as Fai had turned to the page he wanted, his delicate pink tongue would flick out to moisten his lips before he began reading.

The most adorable part, in Kurogane's opinion, occurred when Fai was deeply immersed in his studies. He could tell that Fai was really concentrating when he saw the mage's lips pucker, as though he was preparing to blow out a candle. If he wasn't fairly sure that Fai didn't even notice that he was doing this, Kurogane would have wondered if Fai wasn't doing it just to entice him. Intentional or not, Kurogane was enticed.

"Hmph," he said in mild amusement as he got up from polishing his sword to join Fai at the table. Wordlessly, he tilted Fai's chin up and kissed his puckered lips. The blond tilted his head quizzically after Kurogane pulled away, trying to silently ask the ninja what had prompted that. Kurogane opted not to answer and simply returned to his sword-polishing.

_Snuggle time_

When Kurogane and Fai had first gotten together, Fai used to have to ask when he wanted some snuggle time. Of course, Kurogane was perceptive enough to notice when Fai was upset and _needed_ some snuggle time without being told. But if Fai wanted to snuggle just for the sake of snuggling, Kurogane needed to be asked and (at the very beginning of their relationship) begged.

Now, however, Kurogane had learned to recognize the signs that Fai desired a cuddle without the magician having to utter a word. It often came just after Fai had finished studying. Kurogane heard Fai close his book and glanced up covertly to watch for the telltale signs. Fai sighed and rubbed his eyes; that was the first sign, though it didn't always a completely accurate indicator. Then he sort of hugged himself, rubbing his forearms almost as if he was trying to generate warmth. That was the sign Kurogane had been waiting for.

"Hmph," the ninja huffed amusedly, a small smirk gracing his lips as he got to his feet and stepped forward to provide the gentle, loving touch that Fai desired.

Kurogane bent down to gather Fai into his arms, but paused for a moment, cupping Fai's cheek and kissing his perfect lips. "Hmm?" Fai chirped curiously as Kurogane lifted him, clearly wondering why Kurogane kept smirking and kissing him at the most random times that day. "Nothing," Kurogane mumbled, declining to comment on his reasoning. Fai pouted cutely at him, drawing another smirk from the swordsman as he sat down.

The blond gave it up, however, once he was seated in Kurogane's lap, his lover's muscular arms curling affectionately around his slim frame. He purred quietly as he looped his own arms around Kurogane's broad shoulders, and nuzzled his face into the crook of Kurogane's neck so that he could leave a trail of kisses there. Kurogane tangled his fingers into Fai's golden hair and tilted his head back a bit so that their mouths could meet passionately.

"You're amazing, Kurochuu," Fai breathed, his mismatched eyes glittering enchantingly in the fading sunlight that filtered through the round window in their room. "I never even have to tell you when I want to cuddle anymore; Kurotan always just knows."

Kurogane's brain processed that statement. Basically what it meant was that Fai was oblivious that he sent out clear visual signals when he was wishing that Kurogane would snuggle with him. Somehow, that only made his little idiosyncrasy even more adorable to Kurogane. He allowed himself another grin as he treated Fai to a third fiery kiss.

_Bath time_

That evening found Kurogane rereading the Maganyan magazines he had accumulated over the course of their journey as he waited for Fai to finish his bath before bed. It had been twenty minutes since Fai had gotten into the bath, and Kurogane knew that the blond liked to soak and take his time. He expected that it would be another five minutes before Fai finished. Still, Kurogane kept glancing at the bathroom door in anticipation of his emergence, when Fai's final odd (but endearing) habit would make its appearance.

Five minutes later, exactly as he had predicted, Kurogane heard splashing from beyond the bathroom door, announcing that Fai was getting out of the bath. When Fai opened the door, he would stop in the doorway as his warm body was assaulted by the comparatively cold air beyond the steamy bathroom. The change in temperature would cause Fai to sneeze twice, pause for almost exactly two seconds then sneeze one more time. Then he would sniffle slightly and rub his nose and say "Goodness, excuse me" in a tone of mild surprise, as if he didn't do the exact same thing every single night.

There was a slight rattle and gentle grinding sound as Fai slid the bathroom door open. Kurogane peered over the top of his magazine, watching the steam roll out dramatically behind Fai as he paused in the doorway, a fluffy towel hanging from his shoulders. "…Choo! Ha-choo! ….Ha-choo!" Fai's sneezes were quiet and delicate, almost like a girl's. Kurogane was still amazed that a full-grown man could make such a prissy sound, but then again, this _was_ Fai he was talking about. Prissy or not, Kurogane couldn't help thinking that they were strangely adorable.

"Goodness," Fai said in his customary tone of mild surprise as he sniffled and rubbed his nose. "Excuse me!"

As much as Kurogane relished in the excitement that the unknown presented, there were some things that were comforting in their sheer predictability. He almost felt like he could set his watch to the appearance of Fai's curious little personal habits (well, he could if he wore a watch).

"Hmph," Kurogane smirked amusedly, getting up from his chair and joining Fai in front of the bathroom door. He cupped Fai's warmth-flushed cheek and kissed his soft, moist lips.

As soon as they broke apart, Fai turned gold and sapphire eyes on him questioningly, a curious smile playing across his mouth. "What's going on, Kurochii? You keep kissing me at the strangest times today. This morning at breakfast, while I was studying, right before our cuddle time, and then just now…"

Kurogane's garnet eyes widened a bit in disbelief. "Are you serious? You really don't know?"

Fai cocked his head to the side and poised a slender finger on his bottom lip the way he always did when he was thinking. "Hmm… nothing comes to mind," he said after a moment of contemplation.

So Fai was completely unaware of all his cute little tendencies. For some unfathomable reason, Kurogane found that Fai's cluelessness in regards to this matter made the ninja even more enamored with him. Kurogane flashed Fai his customary half-smirk before granting him two more gentle kisses.

"Are you going to tell me, Kurosama, or just leave me in suspense?" Fai grinned, fiddling playfully with the neckline of Kurogane's yukata.

"No way," Kurogane replied stubbornly. "If I tell you, you'll stop doing 'em."

Fai giggled. "Silly Kuromyuu. If it earns me a kiss from Kurokuro, I'd do them all a thousand times."

Kurogane mulled this over for a moment. "Fine," he relented finally. "But if you stop doing 'em, I'll kick your ass."

"Fair enough," Fai purred.

Kurogane proceeded to reveal all of the idiosyncrasies that had earned Fai his kisses throughout the day. Fai seemed genuinely surprised to hear about them.

"Wow," Fai grinned sheepishly, a delicate blush blossoming on his fair cheeks as Kurogane finished. "I had no idea I was even doing those things! And I'm surprised Kuropiko noticed them all! Some of those are pretty subtle. You must've been watching really close, huh?"

"Yeah, well… I didn't become the top ninja in Nihon by walking around with my eyes shut," Kurogane pointed out.

"Oh, so it was just Kurowanko's super tricky ninja skills that made him notice, hmm?" Fai commented slyly. "Are you sure there aren't any other reasons?"

Kurogane knew exactly what Fai was fishing for and he felt himself reddening slightly. As much as it galled him to admit it, traveling with Fai and the kids even that stupid white manjuu had really softened him a lot. Things that would have mortified and disgusted him in the past, like kissing and cuddling a lover, now came to him almost as easily as breathing. But there was one part of being in love that he was still getting used to, and that was what Fai always seemed to crave the most from him.

"Jeez," Kurogane mumbled, sweeping Fai into his arms and holding him tight so that the blond wouldn't see him blushing. "Obviously, it's because I love you, idiot."

Fai laughed quietly and kissed the swordsman's neck. "You know, I'm not the only one who has strange little habits. Kurowanwan is full of them, too."

"Hah?" Kurogane said doubtfully. "Like what?"

"You want me to list them?" Fai chirped, grinning. He began to tick them off on his fingers. "When Kuropipi wakes up in the morning, he always sits up right away and yawns as he runs his fingers back and forth three times through his hair. When he's eating, he always starts out by taking a big drink of tea and then he puts it down and forgets about it until he's finished everything else on his plate. When he finishes his special 'hammo real jeans' move in sword practice," Kurogane snorted at Fai's mispronunciation of "hama ryuuoujin", "he gives this really sexy 'bad doggy' smile. If Kuronta wakes up in the middle of the night, kissing me, tickling my cheek and stroking my hair helps him fall asleep again. When I do something that Kuropyon thinks is cute he always makes his little 'hmph' noise, comes over, puts his hand on my cheek and gives me a nice, sweet kiss. And finally, Kuropii still can't tell me he loves me without blushing so he always hugs me when he says it so that I won't see how red his cheeks are."

Kurogane gaped at him, his face still red. Did he really do all those things? Some of those were bound to be made up. Especially that one about when he woke up in the middle of the night. That one, if nothing else, had to be fake.

"Whatever," Kurogane grunted. "You're making some of those up."

"Don't be silly, Kurochin," Fai grinned. "I watch you just as closely as you watch me, because I love you, too."

Kurogane stared at him, his eyes still narrowed in slight disbelief over the quirks Fai had listed. Then Fai's words sunk in and his ruby eyes softened.

"Hmph," he snorted amusedly as he cupped Fai's cheek and kissed his smiling lips.

**A/N:** Hmm, how was that? I think it was alright for a PWP piece. I wrote this because I think that Kurogane would be a surprisingly sweet and playful lover to Fai once he was used to the idea of them being together and as long as he didn't have to worry about other people watching their interactions. This was my way of exploring that often untapped side of his character. Besides that, I think the idea of them noticing each other's subtle quirks is adorable. I hope you enjoyed this piece. I promise I'll start writing the next chapter of the miniseries next.


	43. Data

**A/N: **Right, back with more mini-series. Writing Kurogane and Fai as slaves was unexpectedly difficult. I'm worried that I made them a little too laid back in this first scene considering their situation. But I wanted it to be a fluffy moment and I don't know how I could pull off "sweet, developing relationship" fluff with a bunch of angst clouding the air. My excuse is that they're usually more subdued and guarded with their emotions but being around each other brings out the best in them.

Also, writing cautious!partiallysubmissive!Kurogane is so weird, but I don't really know how else to portray him in these circumstances. I mean, he's a sensible sort of guy and while he's certainly brave, I don't see him as the type who would be stupidly reckless when he's so clearly out of his league unless it was a truly dire situation… Anyway, on with the fic! We're going to get a lot of exposition in this chapter which means quite a few flashbacks. I hope it's not too hard to follow!

* * *

**Data**

With every inch that the sun sank toward the horizon, Kyle's fury escalated more and more out of hand. True, he had been quite angry when he had first arrived at the tailor shop to find that Fai was no longer waiting for him there, but having time to brood on it was sending his rage spiraling out of control. He had saved Fai's miserable hide on numerous occasions; his uncle had had every right to slaughter that ungrateful creature for his disobedience. Only Kyle's intervention had kept Fai from certain death.

The light elf had promised to wait here for him and he had betrayed him. Was Fai stupid? Did he not remember what Kyle was capable of? Kyle would have thought, especially after _that_ incident, that the blond would never forget what he could do to those who crossed him. Fai would pay for his sins with his own filthy blood. The humans would pay, too, of course, the worthless scum. They had a lot of nerve, hiding from him what was rightfully his.

Kyle decided that he had been far too lenient with them thus far. Tonight, he would pull out all the stops to find Fai. No man, woman or child would be spared; he would force his way into every home in the surrounding city and raze the whole area to the ground. Fuka had said she had taken Fai out into a field for his beating. That meant that whoever had taken him in most likely lived on a farm, just as he had originally thought. Tonight, there would be devastation throughout the town, starting again with the farmhouses.

As eager as Kyle was to begin his search anew, he was trapped in the tailor shop until the sun set. His mind wandered aimlessly as he waited. Although it seemed like it had been so long since he had last laid eyes on Fai, Kyle realized now that he thought about it that it really hadn't been that long ago that he had even met him for the first time. In fact, he could remember the exact moment when he had first laid eyes on Fai.

He had just arrived at his Uncle Fei Wang Reed's castle for a visit. They had finished a late dinner in the courtyard, after which Fei Wang had given him a tour of the grounds, and now the two of them were just approaching the castle doors to go inside. That's when Fai had passed him on his way across the lawn, clearly on some pointless slave errand. Kyle had been instantly captivated. That silky golden hair, that pale, flawless skin, those delicate features, the slender, graceful limbs; the moment Kyle laid eyes on Fai, he knew that he had to make him his._ That slave, _he had thought numbly_, it's perfect... The most beautiful slave I've ever seen in my life. _

As a dark elf, Kyle was not capable of experiencing love at first sight (or any kind of love, for that matter)—it was more like lust at first sight. As Kyle drank in Fai's beauty for the first time, he knew that he would never be happy until he could have his way with the slave, abuse him, and break him in body and spirit. He would make him scream and writhe in agony, make him wish he was dead. And oh, how he would cherish every second of it.

"Uncle," Kyle had said as evenly as he could manage, "that slave over there… What's its number?"

Fei Wang followed his nephew's gaze disinterestedly to the blond figure making his way across the lawn. "I don't keep track of worthless things like that," he had growled as he watched Fai, his eyes narrowed in loathing. "Ask one of the foremen later."

Kyle had not been satisfied with that response. He would not let that beautiful slave escape the world of sweet pain he had in store for him. Instead, he brushed his uncle off in favor of following the slave. Fei Wang had sighed in exasperation and left his nephew to his stalking.

* * *

"_Hmm?" Fai said nervously, getting to his feet as he glanced back over his shoulder. "Is…someone there?"_

"_You?" a deep, smooth voice grunted. The visitor sighed. "And here I thought I'd have the place to myself."_

"_Eh? Kuropii?" the elf asked hopefully. "Is that you?"_

"_Damn it, what did I say about those freaking nicknames?" Kurogane growled, putting a hand to his hip irritably as he paused to observe the blond. Under his other arm was a basket full of filthy clothing, ratty from overuse. "What the hell are you doing here at this hour?"_

"_Just some laundry," Fai answered pleasantly. "You too, huh, Kurorin? What a nice coincidence!"_

"_Hmph," Kurogane snorted, approaching the water's edge and squatting next to Fai on the bank. "Not like there's any other time I can do it. Those dark elf bastards keep us busy all day."_

_Kurogane took a worn shirt from his basket, plunged it into the water and began to rub it vigorously, trying to remove the streaks of dirt and sweat. Fai watched him in silence for a moment before returning to his own washing._

"_It's been a while since we were able to talk like this, hasn't it?" the elf pointed out. "Usually we have to worry about someone listening in."_

"_Just because it seems like we're alone, doesn't mean we really are," Kurogane reminded him. It might have been his imagination, but Fai thought he heard a slightly bitter edge to his voice. "It'd be stupid to let our guard down in a place like this where we're almost always being watched."_

"_Hmm, I suppose," Fai agreed slowly. "But I don't really think we have anything to worry about. We're perfectly in bounds here and there's no rule against two of us washing our clothing at the same time."_

"_Put your ass on the line if you want," Kurogane grunted in feigned indifference, wringing out his first shirt and setting it aside. "I still think it's a bad idea."_

_Another awkward silence descended over them as they continued to work on their laundry. Fai wasn't very fond of silence, so he opted to make another attempt at conversation._

"_It sure was hot out today, wasn't it?" he said. "I don't handle the heat very well, so I was having a tough time."_

_Kurogane scoffed. "You work in the kitchens, right? You don't know what real heat is until you've been a blacksmith."_

"_Oh, right, Kurosama makes swords, doesn't he?" Fai nodded thoughtfully. "That must've been really yucky for you today, then, huh?"_

_Kurogane shrugged. "It wasn't that big of a deal. I've dealt with worse."_

"_A job like that must be pretty rough on your body, right?" the elf mused. "Do you get blisters on your hands?"_

_Without waiting for an answer, Fai put down the shirt he was washing and took one of Kurogane's hands between his two soft, cool ones, running slender fingers lightly over Kurogane's palm. He winced when he felt the calloused, worn skin there._

"_Oh, Kurowanko's poor hands," he cooed. "I bet they're sore, aren't they?"_

_Kurogane blushed at Fai's gentle, sympathetic tone and surprisingly pleasant touch. "…I-it's nothing."_

"_I can't believe I didn't notice sooner," Fai said softly. "Especially since Kuromyuu and I fell asleep every night holding hands while we were locked up together last time."_

_Kurogane blushed again as he recalled their most recent week together in those cells. After their initial escape attempt, the one that had allowed them to meet, they had met up in solitary confinement three other times. The first of those three additional times had been another coincidence, but the other two had been on purpose. The two of them had indeed fallen asleep every night with their fingers laced together through the hole in the wall (Fai's idea; he said that the contact helped him feel more relaxed in the foreign environment of the harsh punishment cells). Fai had even sung him a lullaby one night when he had sensed that Kurogane was having trouble getting to sleep. The memory of Fai's soft, sweet voice rising and falling melodically in song was enough to make Kurogane's heart flutter._

_It pained him to admit it, but Kurogane had been longing to return to that routine ever since they had left it behind two months ago. He was startled from his thoughts when something soft and warm pressed itself lightly several times to the aching pad of his hand. He looked down to see Fai kissing the sore skin gently. Kurogane's cheeks went scarlet._

"_Wh-what the hell are you doing?!" he hissed, looking around frantically. If one of the dark elf foremen caught them doing something like this, there would be dire consequences._

"_Hmm?" Fai hummed, fixing him with a completely innocent royal blue gaze. "Just a little soothing spell."_

"_Soothing spell?" Kurogane repeated, puzzled._

"_Sorry I can't be more helpful," the elf said, smiling at him apologetically. "I would heal it for you, but healing spells are pretty tough, and they're too strong to perform with this cap on my magic…I hope I was able to help at least a little."_

_Kurogane looked down at his hand a bit dazedly. Actually, it felt a lot better, and the skin that Fai's lips had touched tingled pleasantly. "Hn," he answered elusively._

_Fai seemed satisfied with that response because his smile brightened and he took Kurogane's other hand, bringing it to his lips. The högfolk man's eyes slipped closed unconsciously in enjoyment of the soft, soothing kisses._

"_Does it feel better now, Kuropii?" Fai asked, his voice trembling slightly with quiet, suppressed amusement at Kurogane's favorable reaction to the treatment._

_The högfolk man's stomach chose that rather in opportune moment to rumble loudly. Kurogane's cheeks burned again as he withdrew his hand. Fai seemed to be torn between amusement and sympathy._

"_Goodness, sore and hungry?" he remarked. "Kuropiko came to me in rough shape tonight, didn't he?"_

"_Shut up," Kurogane grumbled._

"_I'm sorry I don't know any spells to fix that," the elf said. _

"…_I'll live," Kurogane assured him, his face still burning. Fai got to his feet and stretched his nimble limbs luxuriously._

"_Are you finished with your laundry, Kurokuro?" he inquired sweetly._

"…_Yeah," Kurogane answered numbly, still wondering what that strange sensation was in his chest that had flared up in response to his contact with the elf._

"_Then how about a bath?" the blond suggested. "It'll be nice and refreshing after working all day in that nasty heat, right?"_

_Kurogane went scarlet for the second time in five minutes. "Are you a complete dumb ass?! Forget it!"_

_Fai pouted. "Why?"_

"_B-because!" Kurogane sputtered lamely. "It'd be too freaking weird! Anyway, I don't know about you lazy-ass kitchen workers, but the blacksmiths have to be up at the crack of dawn every day and there'll be hell to pay if we're falling asleep on the job!"_

_The elf smirked and shrugged before peeling off his sweaty shirt and tossing it aside. "Well, suit yourself, Kurochii. If you don't want any soap, then I guess that's up to you."_

_Kurogane, who had been tossing his laundry into his basket in preparation for making a quick getaway, froze. "…Soap?"_

"_Yep!" Fai grinned as he reached into his pocket and held up a little half-empty bottle of soap (1). "I managed to swipe a little from the palace today. Too bad; I was in the sharing mood and everything… but if Kurowanwan doesn't want to, then I guess…"_

"_Alright, alright," Kurogane grumbled, averting his eyes as his cheeks burned. The idea of bathing with Fai was embarrassing as hell, but the promise of soap, a luxury which was never wasted on slaves, was too strong to resist. "But if you try anything weird, I swear I'll kick your ass."_

_Fai cocked his head curiously, his royal blue eyes gushing innocence once more. "Weird? Like what, Kuromuu?"_

"_Don't screw with me, bastard. You know what I mean," Kurogane grumbled as he stripped his shirt off. "I'm not gonna spell it out for you."_

"_Ok, suit yourself, Kurorinta," Fai shrugged, turning his back on Kurogane modestly as he finished undressing. Kurogane followed his example, glad that Fai wasn't going to try to watch him take off his clothes. The two of them jumped eagerly into the cool water of the dark lake._

"_Mm, this feels nice," Fai sighed, bobbing happily in the water._

"_Hn," Kurogane agreed._

_The two of them soaked in companionable silence for a few moments before Fai uncorked the bottle of soap and shook a small amount into his hands. Kurogane watched out of the corner of his eye as Fai massaged the soap into his golden hair. The elf arched his back in a curious manner as if to keep his hair away from his body as much as possible. And of course, he very carefully avoided touching his earring as he washed._

_Kurogane wasn't sure why, but he found Fai's slow, deliberate movements as he washed his hair overwhelmingly beautiful. He wanted to go over there and thread his fingers through Fai's soapy hair and help him massage his scalp. He wanted to see Fai's dazzling royal blue eyes flutter open curiously to see whose fingers were working through his hair. He wanted Fai to give him one of his gentle, heart-stopping smiles when he saw that it was Kurogane… Why? Why did he feel this way?_

"_Here you go, Kuroron," Fai said, handing the bottle to Kurogane. The högfolk man pushed these fantasies firmly aside as helped himself to a little bit of the precious soap, using it as sparingly as possible. He had just finished washing his own hair when he felt Fai's warm hands on his shoulders. Kurogane jumped and spun around in the water, blushing furiously._

"_Oops, didn't mean to scare you, Kuropyun," Fai grinned. "I just thought maybe you'd like me to wash your back for you."_

_Kurogane was about to snap at him that he didn't need any help and that this was exactly the kind of thing he'd been referring to when he'd said that he'd kick Fai's ass if he tried anything weird, but Fai had begun to rub his shoulders cajolingly. Kurogane suddenly couldn't move and found it rather difficult to breathe. Fai's fingers reached knots and tense spots that he hadn't even noticed he had until they were massaged. It was so relaxing that he found himself unable to resist the offer. _

_The elf smiled as he felt his stubborn companion yielding to his touch. He took a little more soap into his hands and rubbed it into Kurogane's badly scarred back. Poor Kurogane; his back and shoulders were so tense that he could feel a little of the pain in his own muscles as he worked to loosen them. Fai was sure it was because of his strenuous blacksmith work. He wished that he could do this for Kurogane every day. It saddened him to think of Kurogane coming back to his meager quarters so sore every day after work and having no means of relieving the pain._

"_Th-that's enough," Kurogane mumbled after a few moments of massage. It took a disturbing amount of resolve to pull away from Fai's gentle touch, but he forced himself._

"_Hmm, I'd ask you to do mine, but…" Fai broke off with an apologetic smile as he turned to show Kurogane his back. There were large, raw welts on it from where one of the foremen had whipped him earlier that day. In response to seeing Fai's wounds, Kurogane felt an unreasonable level of anger and hatred bubble up inside of him._

"_What did you do?" he growled, his fury at the foremen barely controlled._

"_Ah, well, the king's nephew arrived this evening for a visit so we were instructed to set the good dishes at the dinner table," Fai explained. "I was filling one of the china bowls with soup and I burned myself and ended up dropping the bowl. It broke and splattered soup everywhere, so…"_

_He broke off with a shrug._

_Kurogane ground his teeth mutinously. "Those bastards…! Over something so fucking trivial?!"_

"_Kurosama's really mad…" Fai commented in surprise._

"_Damn right I am!" he spat. "If it weren't for these piece of shit earrings and their damn magic, I'd…"_

_Fai gave him a small smile as Kurogane trailed off, too embarrassed to finish his threat. "What? Would you avenge me, Kuromun?"_

_The elf had only said it to tease him, so he was stunned when Kurogane didn't deny it, instead glaring silently at the water with glowing cheeks. Fai was genuinely touched by Kurogane's half-confession. He smiled sweetly, bringing a hand up to cup Kurogane's blushing cheek. Kurogane's larger hand drifted up dazedly to rest on top of Fai's, as if trying to reassure himself that this was really happening._

"_Oh no, we can't have this," a third male voice said sharply, startling the pair of slaves so badly that they leapt away from each other as though they had been electrocuted. "No, this won't do at all."_

_The two of them stared at the figure approaching them on the bank. Human eyes wouldn't have been able to make out many details, but their superior vision allowed them to discern that their visitor was a dark elf._

"_Two slaves having a secret relationship in the lake in the middle of the night," the dark elf said in a chiding tone, as if he were a teacher scolding two naughty children. "What would my uncle Fei Wang say about this? I believe he'd order your earrings ripped off."_

"_M-Master Kyle!" Fai gasped._

"_Your numbers, slaves," Kyle ordered._

"_Fuck you!" Kurogane snarled. "We've got names, you asshole!"_

_Kyle considered the högfolk man for a moment before throwing his head back in laughter. Then, without warning, he stretched out a hand and shot a constricting spell at Kurogane's throat. Kurogane choked and struggled as his means of drawing oxygen was cut off._

"_A slave with some fight left in it," Kyle grinned evilly. "How amusing. You'll give me your numbers now or you'll have to watch helplessly as I brutalize the blond slave at my leisure."_

_Kyle released the magical chokehold on Kurogane to allow him to answer. Kurogane gritted his teeth against the tidal wave of fury building in his chest, feeling sickeningly helpless. He knew that he didn't stand a chance against a magical dark elf, especially when that dark elf had a literal army at his beck and call and Kurogane himself had no weapon or magic. "316," he spat._

"_200," Fai mumbled. _

"_200, get out of the water," Kyle ordered with an imperious jerk of his thumb. "You will wait for me at the edge of the forest while I have a word with 316."_

_Fai hung his head, allowing his copious blond bangs to obscure his royal blue eyes from view as he approached the shore. He did his best to conceal himself modestly as he emerged from the water. Kurogane averted his eyes from the elf's nude form; it took all his resolve not to tackle Kyle and strangle him to death when he noticed the dark elf staring at the humiliated blond openly. Once Fai was out of earshot, Kyle turned his attention to Kurogane, his eyes narrowed in intense hate._

"_I don't know what you think you have going with 200, but it ends now," Kyle said in a deadly whisper. "If it approaches you again, I expect you to turn it down harshly. Any attempt at rebellion, and I swear I'll tear its earring out before your eyes."_

_With that, Kyle turned his back on Kurogane and stalked off toward the forest where Fai was waiting for him._

* * *

Kyle kicked Fuka's remains savagely at the memory. That may have been his first time laying eyes on his lovely Fai, but he had had past dealings with that other piece of shit slave Kurogane. He would never forget the shock he had suffered upon not only finding that Kurogane was working for his uncle, but also that the slave he wished to violate had feelings for him. It was thanks to that bastard Kurogane that Kyle no longer possessed his beautiful tail (2). His blood boiled as he recalled the ridicule he had been forced to put up with from his fellows because of that. And what a hassle Kurogane had proven to be later on, distracting Fai from Kyle's preliminary torturing.

The whole thing was just putting the dark elf in an even worse mood. But no matter; getting himself nice and angry would just make his impending march of destruction all the more satisfying.

* * *

Kurogane was awoken much too early for his liking the next morning by a gentle tickling sensation on his cheek. The farmer groaned and rolled over, hoping that it would stop. The touch paused until he was settled on his other side and then started again. Kurogane's brow furrowed in irritation. The tickling would have been pleasant if he hadn't stayed out so late last night stargazing with Fai and was now trying to sleep.

"Kurochan," a voice breathed in his ear. "It's time to get up or we'll be late to the marketplace."

Kurogane opened his eyes a crack. Fai was kneeling beside his bed, his chin resting on his arm on the mattress as his other hand stroked Kurogane's cheek. When he saw his host open his eyes, the elf gave him a warm, heart-melting smile.

"Good morning, Kurochuu," Fai purred sweetly. "You must be pretty sleepy still, huh? It's unusual for Kurokuro to sleep in like this… I guess maybe spending all that time outside in the middle of the night when Kuropipi had to work the next day wasn't a very good idea, hmm?" Fai paused, still smiling his breathtaking smile as he cupped the dark-haired man's warm cheek and rubbed it lightly with his thumb. "But I do kind of like getting to wake Kuropon up in the morning. You look so sweet and peaceful when you're sleeping."

Kurogane flushed deeply and sat up, knocking Fai's hands away. Fai giggled quietly at his shyness as Kurogane hurriedly rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Is the sun coming up yet?" he asked, clearing his throat gruffly.

"No, but it's starting to get a little lighter outside," Fai answered. "Don't worry, I've got your breakfast all ready so we can just eat and go."

Kurogane glanced over at the table and saw a steaming bowl of kayu (3) and a fried egg on top of a toasted piece of bread. Fai moved over to the table and sat down.

"Come on over, Kuromin, before your breakfast gets cold," Fai prompted. "Unless you'd like me to bring it to you in bed. Ooh, I could spoon-feed you, Kuropyon! Wouldn't that be fun?"

At that threat, Kurogane hopped up from his bed as though he'd been electrocuted and slid hastily into his seat at the table. Fai giggled again as Kurogane began to feed himself in a rush, clearly flustered by the elf's flirtatious comment. The dark-haired man chanced a glance at Fai once he had started on his own meal. Whatever had been bothering Fai last night didn't seem to be ailing him now; the blond was as bright and cheerful as ever. Kurogane was relieved. Seeing Fai like that had been kind of awkward and stirred strange feelings in him that he wasn't used to having. Part of him wanted to ask what had made him so upset, but then again, he figured it was probably best not to bring it up now that Fai appeared to be over it.

"Something wrong, Kuropii?" Fai asked, reaching out and touching Kurogane's hand comfortingly.

Kurogane jerked out of his musings with a start. "…No, it's nothing."

"Are you sure?" he persisted. "You really do look sleepy."

"Tch! And whose fault do you think that is, you bastard?" Kurogane growled. "Keeping me out there half the night with those half-assed star readings…"

Fai looked genuinely apologetic. "I'm sorry, Kurochii. If you want, I can go to the marketplace for you so you can stay home and get caught up on your rest."

"Like hell I'm staying home," Kurogane said stubbornly. "I've got too much stuff to do today."

"But didn't we finish selling most of your produce yesterday?" Fai asked. "So we probably won't even be at the marketplace for a full day today, right?"

"Yeah, but I've got some other stuff that needs to be finished up here before winter hits," Kurogane told him. "I have to start cleaning out the stalls in the barn, put all the blood month supplies back into storage, and I need to make some more candles."

"Ooh, candle-making sounds like fun!" Fai chirped. "Is it ok if I help?"

Kurogane shrugged. "Do what you want."

He finished up the rest of his food and cleared the dishes from the table.

"C'mon," the farmer prompted. "The kids are probably out there waiting for us already."

Kurogane waited for Fai to slip on his hat to cover his ears and his mother's old cloak (Fai's repeated insistence on wearing the woman's cloak drew a snarl from Kurogane) to cover his skin before opening the door. Sure enough, Watanuki and Syaoran were there, whispering frantically amongst themselves. They were so wrapped up in their conversation that they didn't even notice their boss and his friend standing there until Kurogane spoke.

"What's up?" Kurogane asked.

The boys jumped.

"Kurogane san…" Syaoran began breathlessly. His face was ashen and terrified. "M-my neighbors that live down the road from me… I pass their farmhouse on my way here, only… o-only it's not there anymore!"

Kurogane's eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean it's not there?"

"Someone… s-someone burned it to the ground!" Syaoran cried. "And the bodies… th-there're pieces of them s-scattered everywhere! Th-the animals, too!"

A deeply disturbed and stunned silence followed that statement.

"We think it was that elf that's been sighted in the area lately," Watanuki said anxiously. Kurogane and Fai traded uneasy glances.

"A…A lone elf sighting?" Fai asked, his voice cracking slightly.

Watanuki looked surprised. "You mean Kurogane san didn't tell you, Fai san? There've been reports of a single elf and a bewitched human wandering around near the city over the past few days. They've been causing all sorts of trouble; elf shot and kidnappings and burning down people's houses, murder…"

Fai turned wide blue eyes on Kurogane. The farmer frowned when he saw the beginnings of sheer terror reflected there. Fai was vaguely aware of his legs feeling incredibly weak before he sank to his knees. Kurogane instantly knelt beside him and looped an arm around Fai's trembling shoulders hesitantly. The blond was so distraught that he didn't even respond to Kurogane's offer of comfort.

"Fai san… are you ok?" Syaoran squeaked concernedly. "You look really pale all of a sudden."

"You must really not like elves, then?" Watanuki surmised.

The blond tried to summon a smile for the worried farmhands, but he knew it came out faint and lopsided. "I guess you could say I've had a bad experience with them."

Another unpleasant silence descended upon them. Eventually, Kurogane cleared his throat.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about those guys now. We might as well load up and head out."

* * *

_The autumn harvest festival was one event that was dreaded by all slaves. It was one of the biggest holidays in the dark elf culture. On this day, the dark elves got together to celebrate the fruits of slave labor and to humiliate and abuse their faithful slaves in return for their hard work. The good-looking ones had their bodies "rented out" for the duration of the festival to the highest bidder. Those who were less fortunate with their looks were often beaten or stoned within inches of their lives by small mobs of drunken dark elves, just for sport. _

_The dark elves always kicked off the festivities by herding about a hundred or so of the slaves into long lines on a raised stage and bewitching them to force them to dance while they jeered and whistled from the crowd. Fai found himself in the winding queue among his miserable fellows. He already knew that after being made to do the degrading dance, he would be forced to submit himself to the auctions. His last involuntary tryst with Kyle a mere two nights ago left him still feeling rather sore, causing Fai to look forward to renting himself out even less than usual. He had a feeling that he could have dealt with this whole situation better if he had at least managed to get in line next to Kurogane but the högfolk man was far behind him. _

_Fai heaved a sigh of displeasure and rotated his injured ankle gingerly. It still hurt pretty badly from when Kyle had punished him two nights ago for his secret lake rendezvous with Kurogane. He supposed that flailing around like that had been a bad idea with those trees nearby, but the sensation of Kyle on top of him had been so awful that he hadn't been able to help himself._

"_How's your ankle, Fai san?" Sakura, another one of Fei Wang's kitchen slaves, asked concernedly. "Does it still hurt?"_

"_Not too bad, Sakura chan," Fai lied. "Just a little sting."_

"_Are you sure?" she persisted. "You look like you're in pain."_

_He smiled kindly at her, trying to be as reassuring as possible even as his wound throbbed horribly. "I'll be alright. I put a soothing spell on it right before we left so it's feeling much better."_

"_Ok…" she said, not looking thoroughly convinced. "If you say so, Fai san… I still wish there was something I could do to help…"_

"_You could smile for me," he suggested. "The smile of a pretty girl is the best medicine I know of."_

_Sakura smiled at him uncertainly and he gratefully returned it as all the slaves were ushered onto the stage. Several dark elf foremen appeared to straighten the rows, using a whip to snap at those who failed to get in place quick enough. Luckily Fai was able to stumble into position before the foreman reached him, though he gasped in pain as he landed on his injured ankle in his haste. _

_None of the slaves dared to look at each other as they waited for the body controlling spells to take hold of them. Fai knew from personal experience that they were all trying to take refuge deep inside themselves in an attempt to minimize the unpleasantness that awaited them. Some of the younger ones who hadn't yet learned to do so, along with the exceptionally shy ones, were weeping quietly. _

_Most of the children didn't know exactly what fate awaited them once the dance was over, but they could sense from the tense, fearful atmosphere among the other slaves that it would be terrible. Unfortunately, their expressions of unhappiness only served to excite the dark elves more, for they delighted in the pain and suffering of others. Fai was disgusted (though not the least bit surprised) when he heard several dark elves in the front row having a loud discussion about which children they would bid on when the auctions started._

_Suddenly, without any warning, Fai felt his entire body seize up and knew immediately that this was the body controlling spell taking hold of him. He bit his lip so hard when he was forced to shift his weight onto his injured ankle that he could taste blood in his mouth. Fai could feel tears coming to his eyes. He wished that he could at least look at Kurogane; that would give him some strength. But he had completely lost control of his body and was powerless to do anything but the painful, jerky motions that the spell dictated._

_That's when it happened; as the blond's limbs were being bent and stretched and twisted unnaturally, something in the crowd caught his eye. More appropriately, some_one_ in the crowd caught his eye—a curvy, beautiful someone with long, silky blond hair that almost reached her feet. Fai's eyes bulged slightly in sheer shock and disbelief. He hadn't heard a single thing from her in years. He fell asleep every night praying that she was still alive, promising himself that if he ever found her, the two of them would break out of their lives in slavery and find somewhere safe where they could live again in freedom._

"_M-mo—" Fai fought desperately against the spell controlling him. He needed to attract her attention. "… Mother! _Mother_!!"_

_With every ounce of strength that his body and will possessed, Fai fought against the spell, wanting to wave his arms. "Mother!!"_

_Freya's head jerked up at the sound of her son's voice. She gaped at him for a moment, just as hopeful and disbelieving as he was._

"_Fai?!" she called. "Fai?!"_

_Freya began fighting through the crowd of dark elves, pushing her way toward the stage toward her long-lost son. Fai was still trying to break out of his place in line. The elfin woman didn't get far before a mass of dark elves pounced on her, crushing her delicate body to the ground. Fai heard her cry out in pain under their weight, but could still see her struggling violently against their lecherous holds._

"_Mother!!" Fai shouted again. _

_He was halfway toward the stairs leading off the stage, but more dark elves were flooding up them to intercept him. Freya was frantically kicking and biting and scratching the dark elves that were piled on top of her. Fai felt strong, sinister hands close on his biceps and he thrashed wildly. One of them put a full body bind spell on him and he felt his muscles lock up just in time to see a dark elf grab his mother by the hair and jerk her head back. His eyes widened again in horror as he watched, as if in slow motion, as her captor grabbed her earring._

"_NOOOOOO!!!" Fai shrieked._

_The blond elf made another valiant effort to fight against his magical bindings. It was too late for him do anything, though, and Fai knew it. All he could do was watch in terror as the scene unfolded before him. Freya froze, her mouth open in a silent scream, tears streaming down her cheeks as her master wrenched out her earring. Fai swore he could feel his heart shattering as he watched his mother's soul literally be ripped from her body, right along with the earring and the chunk of skin that had been holding it in place. Her breathtaking frame crumpled instantly. The body that had once held the heart of a warm, gentle elfin woman was now nothing but an empty, useless shell. _

"_MOTHEEEEEER!!!" Fai screamed, his voice cracking in agony._

_The blond was so utterly crushed that he hardly noticed as Fei Wang himself stormed onto the stage and grabbed Fai's earring in his thick fingers._

"_Wait!" another voice shouted._

_Kyle shoved his way through the confused mix of dark elves and slaves toward his uncle. "Uncle, allow me to punish it."_

"_Out of the way, Kyle," Fei Wang snarled. "This slave is more trouble than it's worth. I'm going to deal with it once and for all."_

"_But if you tear out its earring, it will be useless to both of us," Kyle pointed out. "You said yourself the night I arrived that it was one of your best cooks. And I've found that it makes an absolutely delightful toy."_

_Fei Wang considered his nephew's argument for a moment. With a snort of disappointment, he released Fai's earring and kicked the blond hard in the back towards Kyle._

"_Lock it up," he ordered. "100 lashes, four days without food, two days without water."_

_When Fai was thrown in his cell that night, exhausted and bleeding profusely, he noticed that something was different about the holding area. A portrait of King Fei Wang Reed had been hung from the wall so that it was in plain view of both cells. The king's cruel, twisted smile and merciless eyes bored into Fai. All through the night, Fai swore he could hear the king laughing at him as he sobbed himself to sleep, wishing with all his might that Kurogane could be in the cell beside him to offer some much needed comfort (4)._

* * *

Kurogane and his entourage had known before they reached the marketplace that Syaoran's neighbors' farmhouse had been burnt to the ground. What they did not know was that Syaoran's neighbors were by no means the only ones who had been ruthlessly slaughtered the previous night. Therefore, the four of them were completely unprepared for the level of sheer pandemonium that awaited them when they reached the marketplace.

Virtually no one had their stands set up and open for business. People were gossiping in a sort of terrified fury, flitting around from group to group to gather news about all the victims. When Kurogane, whose goods were popular and well-known throughout the marketplace, entered the town square with his usual produce, he and his helpers alive and unharmed, people descended on him in swarms. Judging by the amount of incredulous and distrustful muttering that took place as they flooded toward them, these weren't exactly friendly swarms. Kurogane instinctively positioned himself between the oncoming crowd and his companions as his natural penchant for protecting others took over.

"You're alive?"

"How the hell did you manage to avoid the attacks?! Every single farmer in the entire town was slaughtered!"

"You're not only all alive, but you're ready to open for business as usual? Seems pretty damn suspicious to me!"

"You find some way to get on that damn elf's good side? Maybe you helped with the attacks, eh?"

"You bastards have a lot of nerve accusing me of that kind of shit without a shred of evidence!" Kurogane snarled.

"Evidence?!" a man near the front of the crowd sneered, a manic look gleaming in his eyes. "Didn't you hear what we just said?! You're the only farmer left in the whole fucking town! Every shred of your competition has just been brutally eliminated! You're free to monopolize the market! What more evidence do you need?!"

"It's disgusting that you would go to such lengths for such selfish reasons!" one woman cried. "But to kill Fuka and burn the tailor shop when she had nothing to do with any of this just proves your depravity!"

Kurogane didn't bother to look when he heard Fai gasp behind him; he had more pressing issues to deal with at the moment.

"Look, I'm telling you assholes I had nothing to do with it!" the farmer roared, reaching for the knife he used to cut his meat. "Anyone who wants to challenge that can take it up with my knife!"

A brief, fearful hush fell over the crowd in response to Kurogane's offer.

"Well, what about that stranger with you?" another man asked nervously, gesturing at Fai. "We didn't see him around here until yesterday! That's the day _after_ the first wave of kidnapping and the day _before_ all these murders! You've got to admit that that's pretty damn suspicious!"

"'The _first_ wave of kidnapping'?" Syaoran gasped. "You mean there's been more?"

"Four more children are missing and two were found this morning outside, dead from exposure," the man informed them grimly. "We don't know anything about that guy you've got with you, Kurogane san, but surely you can see why someone like him might make us nervous at a time like this, can't you?!"

In spite of the growing sense of foreboding within him, Kurogane maintained his cool exterior fairly well.

"Alright, so he came at a bad time," he growled. "That doesn't mean he's the one responsible for all the shit that's happening. There's no reason for you to suspect him."

The man looked exasperated and frustrated. "Look at him! No regular person has such perfect skin or such a fine, slender build, or moves so gracefully! And it seems that hat he's wearing would be quite convenient for covering up a pair of pointed ears, wouldn't you agree?!"

Kurogane felt his blood turn cold in his veins. This was exactly what he had been afraid of when he had refused to allow Fai to come to the marketplace that first day. Immediately, he cursed himself for being so stupid. Obviously there were other ways of dealing with Fai's fear of being left alone in an enclosed space without bringing him out in public like this. How could he have been so stupid? But it was too late to fix his foolish mistake now; the damage had already been done. Now all he could do was work to keep the situation from getting even more out of hand. There was no way in hell he was going to let Fai be killed, especially like this.

"This guy is staying with me!" Kurogane snapped. "Don't you think I would know if I had a damn elf in my house?!"

"Then maybe he wouldn't mind touching my iron pentagram charm, just to be sure," a woman piped up, reaching behind her to undo her necklace. "That ought to clear things up."

Kurogane glanced over his shoulder at Fai. The elf was frozen, stunned and terrified. Syaoran and Watanuki had similar expressions, and the farmer noticed that they had backed away from Fai a few steps as uncertainty filled them. Kurogane could see Fai eying the pentagram fearfully. Fai couldn't lay a finger on that charm and they both knew it. He had to stop it from happening.

"He not touching it!" Kurogane snarled. "He's not a fucking elf, so back the hell off! While you bastards are hanging around here accusing innocent people, the real guy is probably laughing his ass off and planning his next wave of murder!"

There was another bout of uneasy mumbling at this, until someone shouted "better safe than sorry!"

Kurogane gritted his teeth, holding his meat cleaver up in front of him threateningly as he backed closer to Fai. The crowd began to advance slowly.

"You're all making a terrible mistake," a calm female voice warned, rising easily above the crowd despite the fact that she wasn't shouting.

Kurogane started and whirled around to see who had spoken. Yuuko was standing right beside him, a completely serene expression on her face. Kurogane hadn't even heard or sensed her approach. "You again?! What the hell are you doing here?!"

Yuuko raised an elegant eyebrow at him. "I'm here to save your skin, you silly, ungrateful child."

"I'm not a child!" he replied acidly. "And I can handle this on my own! I don't need any help from you!"

The witch looked amused by his claims. "Kurogane, you have a huge angry mob advancing on you and you're just one man with only a meat cleaver to protect himself. Besides, enough blood has been shed in this town for one day. We will settle this civilly."

Kurogane snarled at her through clenched teeth. To tell the truth, the crowd had really pissed him off with their baseless accusations and he had gotten all excited about the prospect of settling the matter with a good fight. It looked like that wouldn't be happening now that Yuuko had decided to intervene. And if he knew the witch like he thought he did, her "skin-saving" wouldn't come cheap.

* * *

"_Kurosama…" a voice behind him sighed in relief. _

_Kurogane whirled around to face his visitor, blacksmith tools still in hand, his muscular body dripping with sweat from heat and exertion. When he saw Fai standing there, a massive black bag slung over one shoulder, Kurogane was so surprised that he dropped his hammer. The heavy metal instrument came dangerously close to landing on Kurogane's foot and shattering his bones, but he took no notice._

"_Moron! What the hell are you doing here?!" he hissed, approaching Fai with an expression as close to sheer panic as the högfolk man was capable of. "Do you have any idea how fucking dangerous it is for you to be sneaking—"_

_Fai cut him off with a strange smile. It looked pained and comforted at the same time. "Don't worry, Kurochii; I'm not sneaking. I was put in charge of bringing everyone their lunches. I've got yours right here."_

_Fai set down the sack he was carrying and began to rummage through it with a deliberate sort of slowness. After a moment, he emerged holding the standard battered black lunchbox, but this one had a little streak of red across the cover which was presumably to distinguish it from the others._

"_I snuck you an extra portion," Fai said breathlessly, offering Kurogane his lunch. "I hope it'll be enough to fill Kuropon up for once. I get really worried thinking about you working so hard out here when it seems like Kuromyuu's tummy is always rumbling."_

_Kurogane flushed at the soft, concerned look that the blond elf was giving him. In truth, he deeply appreciated Fai bringing him extra food, but he couldn't encourage the behavior for fear that Fai would be caught and punished for it. _

"_Didn't I tell you not to take any unnecessary risks, dumb ass?" he mumbled, averting his eyes as he accepted his meal. "Who knows what those dark elf bastards might do if they catch you bringing me extra portions. Anyway, what happened to that girl who usually brings the food? Yuzuki, or whatever her name was?"_

_Fai lowered his eyes sadly. "She was caught having a relationship with another slave and… the foreman tore both of their earrings out."_

"_Tch!" Kurogane spat, his fist clenching angrily at the injustice of it all. _

_The two of them lapsed into a miserable, tense silence. Each could tell that there was something that the other longed to say but couldn't for fear that the wrong people might overhear their conversation. Each could see the strain that that fact was causing the other. Fai looked especially pained and it was all Kurogane could do to keep himself from crossing the short distance between them to pull the beautiful elf into his strong arms. He hated seeing that upset expression marring Fai's fair elfin features. It was Kurogane who eventually broke the rather pregnant pause._

"_Well, you better get out of here before they get suspicious," he said regretfully. _

"_Ever since we left those secluded cells for the first time…" Fai began as if he hadn't heard Kurogane's warning, "my chest… won't seem stop hurting…"_

_Even now, half a year after their last period of solitary confinement, Kurogane couldn't help yearning for the sort of closeness they had been granted that time. With the events that had gone on at the autumn harvest festival, Kurogane was sure that Fai needed someone to be there for him now more than ever. The högfolk man nearly drove himself crazy picturing Fai crying himself to sleep every night with no one to comfort him. But Kurogane pushed those thoughts aside to focus on the problem at hand: Fai was experiencing chest pain. Kurogane wasn't a doctor, but even he knew that that sort of thing could be indicative of serious and possibly life-threatening medical conditions._

"_What, you sick or something?" he asked, thinly veiled concern rising in his gruff voice as he stepped forward, briefly forgetting the risk of being spotted, and placed a calloused tan hand on Fai's forehead. He knew that the kind of health problems that might cause chest pains were not likely to cause a fever but it was the only thing he could think to do. Fai closed his eyes and leaned into the touch._

"_Mm, I don't think it's anything like that…" he breathed distractedly. "Being in the same room with Kurotan makes it hurt a lot less… And when Kurosama touches me, I… I feel like maybe everything could turn out alright after all…"_

_Kurogane fixed him with a pensive gaze. He knew he should take his hand away from Fai's forehead, but touching the elf had an effect on him that was stunningly similar to what Fai had just described. Fai opened his eyes, giving him a heartbreakingly beautiful sad smile as he took Kurogane's hand from his forehead and guided it down to his heart. Kurogane caressed the area gently, absentmindedly, with his thumb. Fai's heart was pounding with shocking vigor beneath his fingertips. Surely that wasn't natural._

"_Can you feel how hard my heart is pounding? It didn't start beating like that until Kurochuu touched me… I wonder if…" Fai trailed off thoughtfully, stroking the back of Kurogane's hand with his slender fingers._

"_What?" Kurogane prompted in what he hoped sounded like a nonchalant voice. In reality, Fai's words had caused Kurogane's heart to start pounding almost as fast as the elf's. He had to know how Fai was going to finish that sentence._

_Fai was silent for a moment, his head lowered so that his copious blond bangs obscured his royal blue eyes from sight. He clutched Kurogane's hand to his chest with shaking hands. Though it pained him to remain silent, Kurogane did his best to wait patiently for Fai's answer._

"_Well, I didn't think it was possible for me, but…I wonder if this is what it feels like… to be in love," Fai whispered._

_Kurogane would be lying if he said that he hadn't been hoping to hear Fai say that. He had been dreaming of nothing else since the two of them had left their solitary confinement together. However, as much as he had longed for Fai's affection, his fear of what would happen to the beautiful blond elf if that love was discovered was far greater. Kurogane had no idea what he would do if Fai ever had his earring ripped out and he wasn't eager to explore the possibilities. _

_That was the silent mantra that echoed in his head as the högfolk man steeled himself for what he knew he must do. Knowing that he must do it, however, didn't make it any easier. It took all the resolve Kurogane possessed to jerk his hand away from Fai's gentle, loving touch and turn his back on him defiantly. He swore that as he made that movement, he could hear both their hearts breaking in unison._

"…_Get out of here," Kurogane hissed through clenched teeth. He had the distinct feeling that if he spoke any louder than that, his voice would waver humiliatingly. "I better not see you anywhere near here again… except to do your job."_

"_K-Kurosama," Fai breathed, his voice cracking in anguish. He reached out and touched Kurogane's shoulder desperately. "…Kuros-sama, please…"_

"_Didn't you hear me?!" Kurogane spat, brushing Fai's hand away roughly. "I said get out!"_

_Fai was silent for a long moment, and then he picked up his sack again. Kurogane clamped his eyes shut and had to bite his tongue to keep from calling out to Fai and confessing how he really felt. Even though the noise hadn't come from Fai himself, Kurogane swore that he could hear more pain in the quiet rustling of the cloth of the black lunch bag as the blond picked it up again than he could have in a sigh or a whimper. The högfolk man bent down slowly to pick up his hammer again and returned to pounding the unfinished sword before him, his hands far less steady than they had been before. Suddenly he no longer felt hungry._

* * *

Kyle screamed in fury. He had burnt down every house, went through every room, every barn, every body, searching meticulously for Fai and still there had been absolutely no sign of him anywhere. It was as if the blond had simply dropped off the face of the earth. But Fai was alive and he was nearby, Kyle could sense it. There was no fooling a dark elf's senses. Fai must be hiding himself and his place of refuge with some sort of spell. The cap on his magic, which was placed on all slaves, must have worn off when he left Svartalfheim and come to the human world. And no matter how Kyle tried, he couldn't seem to use his own magic to hunt the blond down.

"I'm sorry, master," Chisei said meekly. "He must be using light elf magic to block us… It's the only thing I can think of that might keep us from finding him. Perhaps I'll see a dream tonight that will be helpful."

"That's right…" Kyle hissed to himself. "Outside of our homeland, light magic is stronger than dark…"

"If I enlist the help of someone without dark magic flowing through their veins, we might have a chance," she suggested timidly.

Kyle rounded on her sharply, his eyes blazing. The dark elf snatched the girls face in his nimble fingers, forcing her to look at him straight on as he squeezed her cheeks painfully. "You'd better hope we have a chance, you filthy human," he snarled, "because this is _your_ last chance. You find him tonight or I'll rip you apart like the worthless nothing you are."

Chisei swallowed and nodded shakily. She had seen her master deal with others who displeased him enough times to know that he didn't mess around when it came to things like that.

* * *

_Fai waited until he had returned to his rundown and rather inadequate living quarters before breaking down that night. Seeing his mother have her soul ripped out before his very eyes had been traumatizing enough, but being so harshly rejected by his first and only love on top of that was more than he could handle in such a short span of time. His weak knees crumbled uselessly beneath him, bringing him to the floor upon the single ratty, filthy blanket that acted as his bed. The tears that had been threatening to burst forth all day finally spilled down his cheeks, landing on the dirt floor in a steady pitter-patter. _

_Fai was too heartbroken to care about the thin walls that surrounded him, allowing his neighbors to hear his quiet but uncontrollable sobbing. It was by no means unusual to hear someone in the rundown shack that acted as their housing unit crying until late in the night and they all had an unspoken agreement not to talk about it. Although there wasn't a single night that went by when Fai didn't dream of someday being able to kiss Kurogane's lips fearlessly before curling up and falling asleep in his arms, never had he longed for his touch more than he did tonight. _

_He just didn't understand where he had gone wrong. Despite his worry that as a half dark elf he would never be able to fall in love, Fai had strong romantic feelings for Kurogane and he had thought that Kurogane loved him too. What could have caused him to suddenly become so cold towards him? Before Fai could even begin to formulate a possible answer to that question, there was a loud knock at the door. Actually, it sounded less like a knock and more like someone trying to break the door down. _

_Fai sniffled and scrambled to his feet, frantically wiping his tears away. If that was one of the dark elf foremen then letting them see him in such a state was just asking for trouble. There was another loud thump as his uninvited visitor threw their shoulder against the door again. This time, they managed to fling the door open. There, in the doorway, his chest heaving, eyes gleaming with determination, was quite possibly the last person he had expected to see: Kurogane._

"…_K-Kurosama…!" Fai gasped. He was vaguely aware that tears had started to spill down his cheeks again but he hardly took any notice. "Why… wh-why are you h-here? I…thought you…"_

"_I lied," Kurogane panted. His cheeks were deeply flushed and Fai could see sweat standing out against practically every inch of exposed skin, but to the elf Kurogane had never looked as attractive as he did now. "That asshole of a king's piece of shit nephew forced me, but dammit… I can't wait anymore!"_

_The högfolk man swept the stunned elf into his embrace, holding him in a bone-crushing hug._

"_Kurorin… why…?" Fai choked._

"_Idiot!" Kurogane hissed. "I can't believe you're asking me such a freaking stupid question! Obviously, it's because I love you!"_

_Fai swore his heart had stopped beating. There was no way Kurogane had just said what he thought he said. There was just no way that could ever happen. But before Fai could ask him to repeat himself, Kurogane was tilting his chin upward, his lips drawing steadily closer to Fai's. The blond's eyes fluttered closed hopefully._

"_Stop right there," a cold voice interrupted._

_Suddenly Fai was frozen as a body binding spell overtook him and Kurogane. The elf's eyes flitted over to the doorway and widened in sheer terror at the sight of the dark elf standing there. It was Kyle, and he didn't look the least bit pleased with his discovery._

"_316," Kyle breathed icily. "What did I say about your relationship with 200? I believe my words were, and I quote, 'Any attempt at rebellion, and I swear I'll tear its earring out before your eyes.'"_

_Fai saw Kurogane's eyes widen in horror as well._

"_Apparently, you wish to go back on our deal," Kyle continued, his voice dripping with pure venom. "However, I have changed my mind. Instead of tearing out 200's earring, I think I will kill you in the slowest, nastiest, most painful way I know how."_

_The dark elf grabbed the immobile Fai by his ponytail, jerking the two lovers apart roughly. "200, you will watch the whole thing. And I hope you'll remember as you do so that this is entirely your fault."_

* * *

**A/N: **Hmm… why does it feel like I cut a whole bunch of corners in this chapter? I certainly wasn't trying to, but it still feels that way somehow. And why on earth does everyone feel so OOC? I hope I'm not losing my touch :( Anyway, I didn't accomplish everything that I planned to in this chapter but if I had tried to do so it would have ended up being at least 15-20 pages longer than this and that just seemed like too much. I feel like I'm losing my steam, here…

1) In the early days of soap, it came in a semi-liquid form. I'm not entirely sure what that means, but I assume it would be something like the hand soap we have today. Apparently the Arabs perfected the solid version about three centuries later.

2) According to mythology, elves have tails that are long enough to drag on the ground when they walk. There are stories about elves trying to pose as humans and being discovered because they don't conceal their tails well enough. That sounded really gross and totally not beautiful to me so I only gave tails to the dark elves in this story. Also, it seems that elf women were said to have hollowed backs like animal food troughs. The old stories weren't very big on details, so I don't know how dramatic the dip is but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I mean, if they basically had a huge trench-like area in between their shoulder blades, then how the heck to their internal organs fit in there? I'm so confused.

3) Kayu is rice gruel, kind of like porridge only made with rice. It usually has a thin, watery consistency and is eaten hot.

4) This scene here was basically what I originally built Fai's whole back story on. Somehow, in spite of my intentions to model the story so closely after it, it only became a very small part in the tale of Fai's past. It's inspired by a certain Russian ballet. Anyone who can guess the name of this ballet will have my deep and profound respect.


	44. Anxiety

**A/N: **sdkjfaljoa, guys, I'm not even gonna try to hide it anymore; I hate how this story is turning out. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it! Argh! Writing it has become a chore rather than something I enjoy and it takes more willpower to sit down and work on it each time. I'm not blaming the person who requested it. In fact, I'm willing to accept most of the blame myself for creating such a shitty story that even I don't want to deal with as the author.

A small portion of the blame falls on Clamp, as well. Honestly, I can hardly even remember the last time I enjoyed a chapter of Tsubasa. For the past two years, I've simply been reading it out of obligation because hey, I've followed it almost religiously for so long, I have to know how it ends. I admit that I'm losing interest in Tsubasa as a whole and even this pairing because with each passing chapter that they're ignored and shoved aside, I can hardly keep alive my hope that something satisfying will happen between them. I'll try to finish Their Love in Fifty Words, simply because I feel obligated, but to be truthful, I'd rather write for Hetalia. Anyway, enjoy this shitstorm.

* * *

**Anxiety**

Kurogane left the marketplace in a rather sour mood. He knew that he should be grateful to Yuuko for stepping in and stopping them from being lynched, but it was hard for him to muster up gratitude when he had paid through the nose for her services. Really, all she had done was tell the crowd that their troubles were caused by a dark elf, give everyone a crash course in the distinguishing characteristics of dark elves and thereby proven that Fai could not possibly be the guilty party. It wasn't like she had really put herself out for them or done anything miraculous, so Kurogane didn't see why he should have had to give her a third of the produce he had brought with him to sell that day as payment.

"Are you saying that your lives aren't even worth a third of your produce to you?" Yuuko had asked coolly, a smug smile on her face.

"I'm _saying_ that you've got no business popping up whenever there's a problem, shoving yourself onto others and then demanding payment for it, dammit!" Kurogane had snapped back. "You're supposed to wait for people to _ask_ for your help, you crazy bitch, not force it down their throats!"

"You handle your business your way and I'll handle my business my way," she replied stubbornly. "After all, this is how I've always operated and it works perfectly well. There's no point in fixing what's not broken, right?"

Just remembering it made Kurogane's blood boil. Of course that way of business worked for her; she gave her customers no choice! There was also the fact that while Yuuko had proven that Fai was not a dark elf, she had done nothing to disprove the theory that Fai was some kind of elf, and that still made them subject to a great deal of mistrust. Although Kurogane didn't approve of lying, he figured that if she was going to charge them so much for her services, she might as well do the job in a thorough manner. At the very least, she could have explained the traits of light elves and pointed out the differences between them and dark elves. That way even those who still suspected that Fai was an elf would know that he was not a danger to them. Kurogane would have explained this himself if he thought the crowd saw him as being even remotely credible.

In spite of the continued suspicion against Kurogane and Fai, the people still needed to buy food. With all the other farmers in the entire town gone, they had no choice but to buy from Kurogane. They had done so grudgingly, making sure that he knew that they were not in the least bit pleased about having to do so. Even his usual female fan club had seemed significantly less enthusiastic than usual (not that he really cared). Regardless of all the grumbling from his customers, Kurogane had had no trouble selling off the last of his produce.

"We're pretty much done here," Kurogane had told Syaoran and Watanuki once they were running low on supplies. "You two can head back and start cleaning out the stables. This guy and I can finish up with this."

The boys had nodded obediently and removed their aprons.

As soon as the two of them had disappeared, Kurogane glanced curiously over at the elf. After the recent turn of events, Fai had started acting strange again. His face was paler than death and it looked as though keeping his smile in place for the customers was costing him an unreasonable amount of effort. The farmer wondered if Fai was feeling sick again. It was probably nerves due the fact that his identity had almost been uncovered and was still under suspicion. Still, he wasn't sure that Fai's obvious uneasiness didn't go much deeper than that.

Kurogane knew that his chances of getting answers out of him about it were even slimmer than usual if the boys were there to listen in on the conversation and that had played a large factor in his decision to send them back to the farm ahead of him and Fai. Kurogane was determined to get some sort of an explanation from Fai as soon as the two of them cleared the marketplace area. The elf was already lagging behind shakily, looking like he was trying not to be ill, clearly lost in his own thoughts.

Kurogane slowed Ginryuu to a halt, waiting for Fai to catch up. Fai was so preoccupied that he didn't even notice that Kurogane was waiting and would have passed by him if Kurogane hadn't reached out and grabbed Fai's forearm, firmly yet gently. The blond started violently at the touch.

"Hey, what's up?" Kurogane asked, his voice coming out a lot softer and more concerned than he had intended. He flushed slightly and cleared his throat. "You look like hell."

If Fai noticed Kurogane's slip-up, he didn't give any sign of it. He just smiled weakly up at his host. "Hmm… I guess I'm not feeling well again."

"What, you worried because those guys back at the marketplace think you're an elf?" Kurogane asked.

Fai continued to smile feebly. "Yeah… It's exactly what Kuropipi said would happen, huh?"

Kurogane regarded him critically through his sharp garnet eyes.

The elf lowered his gaze as if trying to escape the searching look. "Kuropin has been so good to me… I feel bad for making so much trouble for you."

"Bastard," Kurogane sneered. "If you're gonna lie, at least think about what you're saying first."

Fai's eyes instantly snapped back to Kurogane's. "Hmm? You think I'm lying?"

"I _know_ you're lying," the dark-haired man growled. "You were acting pretty damn strange before we even got to the marketplace, ever since the kid mentioned that his neighbor's farm had been burnt down. And your reaction whenever someone mentioned that tailor's name was weird, too. This isn't about them thinking you're an elf; you know something about what's going on."

The look Fai gave him was nothing short of terrified. As irritated as Kurogane was with the blond for his continued insistence on hiding things from him, he couldn't help feeling sorry for Fai just then. He just looked so scared and lost and fragile. Now that he thought about it, Kurogane supposed that he might be at least partly to blame. He had made his accusation in an attempt to wring some answers from the tight-lipped elf, but it occurred to him now that Fai might have misconstrued it, thinking that he was going to hurt or abandon him because of it. In reality, Kurogane had no intention of doing either. All he wanted was to know what they were up against so that he could prepare and face it head-on. Then maybe when Fai smiled, he wouldn't look like he was in such agony.

"Look, would you stop making that face?" Kurogane mumbled, blushing as he set a hand heavily on Fai's head in an awkward gesture of comfort. "I'm not gonna hurt you. I just wanna know what's going on."

Fai heaved a sigh, deep and tired, trying to calm his nerves and his queasy stomach so that he could answer the question. "It's a really long story, Kurosama, and it's… really hard for me to talk about… especially right now… I-I feel like I'm going to… throw up…"

Kurogane had the feeling that Fai wasn't just trying to dodge his questions this time; he really did look like he was about to be sick. He sighed and smoothed Fai's bangs back from his perspiring forehead gently. "Can you at least tell me why my farm was safe from the attacks? Is it because of you?"

Fai nodded almost imperceptibly. "My magic… is p-protecting it… from him…"

The farmer's brows furrowed thoughtfully. "So you know this guy, then? The one who's responsible for all the shit that's happening?"

"…K…Kyle…" Fai choked. He clapped a hand to his mouth, hunching forward as his whole body trembled. Kurogane quickly guided him to the roadside, slipping his hand under the hood of the blue cloak so that he could hold the elf's sweat-dampened golden hair out of his face as Fai surrendered the contents of his stomach to the tall grass. The farmer rubbed soothing circles on Fai's lower back with his other hand, wishing he had some water to offer him as Fai wiped his mouth on the back of his hand shakily. For a few moments, all the blond could do was crouch there, breathing harshly as he tried to regain his composure.

"I-I'm sorry…" Fai panted. "That… was pretty gross, huh?"

He tried to stand, but wobbled precariously. Kurogane scooped him up easily into his arms.

"Don't be stupid," he said firmly. "You couldn't help it."

"And now… I'm m-making even more trouble for you," the elf whispered, laying his head against Kurogane's strong chest. "Even after Kurochuu didn't get enough sleep last night… because he wanted to make s-sure I was feeling better…I'm sorry…"

"Hey, that was my own choice," Kurogane grunted. "If you don't quit apologizing for stuff that wasn't your fault, I'll kick your ass."

He gathered Ginryuu's reigns again and flicked them, setting the horse in motion at his side as he carried Fai towards home. Fai drew several deep, slow breaths, trying desperately to calm himself. Despite Kurogane's characteristic gruffness, the elf knew that he was worried about him and the last thing he wanted to do was cause Kurogane more stress.

The elf's sharp hearing picked up the sound of Kurogane's heartbeat. It was strong and steady in his ear. Fai let his eyes flutter closed as he forced himself to tune out everything but the sound of the farmer's heart. Even though he knew that his situation hadn't changed in the slightest since a few seconds ago, he couldn't help being soothed slightly by the clear, reassuring rhythm.

Kurogane could feel his face getting hot as Fai placed his hand and cheek against his chest, the warm weight bouncing slightly with each step he took. So Fai had been protecting his farm from the attacks. Kurogane couldn't say that he was surprised. After all, he hadn't taken any special precautions that would prevent elf interference. What did surprise him was that Fai knew the one who was behind it all.

Kyle… the name was hardly indicative of the evil he had committed (1). Kurogane resolved to get the full story later that night when Fai wasn't so weak and shaky. He needed to know what this elf had done to strike such fear in Fai that the mere knowledge of his presence caused him to vomit. And then he would kill him, slowly and painfully, for the sake of his own revenge as well as Fai's. The fewer dark elves there were in the world, the better.

Kurogane pulled out of his musings just in time to realize that they were about to pass that högfolk home that had upset Fai so much the other day. He hugged Fai closer, bracing the blond head against his chest. The last thing he needed was for Fai to see that thing again when he was already so upset. Fai seemed to appreciate Kurogane's hug because he nuzzled him weakly, stroking his chest lightly with his fingertips. Kurogane felt his heart flutter peculiarly at the gentle touch, his face heating up again as he prayed that Fai couldn't hear it.

* * *

_It was early morning before Fai was thrown into his cell, though there was no sunlight in Svartalfheim, making day and night virtually indistinguishable. But there could have been fire and brimstone raining from the sky and Fai would neither have noticed nor cared. Lying before him on the cold stone floor in a mangled, bloody, barely recognizable heap was his first and only love. Kyle had tossed him into the cell after Fai, spitting derisively on the body before turning gracefully on his heel and stalking away._

_Fai's throat was sore and parched from screaming and pleading and sobbing as he had been forced to watch Kurogane be tortured in cruel and unusual ways. He had cried so long and hard through the process that he no longer possessed any more tears. Although he still felt as though his heart had been shattered and every last shred of his will to live crushed, he was simply too exhausted to cry anymore. _

_It didn't help that his eyes kept being drawn uncontrollably to Kurogane's body. He was appalled by the shape it had taken at Kyle's hands and yet he couldn't help continuing to think of it as a sentient thing. He still thought of it as containing the essence of Kurogane's being, the adorably shy, quick-tempered, gruff högfolk man that he had loved. Fai had dreamed of someday whispering sweet words to him, of kissing and holding him, of attaining freedom with him…_

_The elf felt himself being pulled to his feet and crossing the miniscule cell to Kurogane's remains as if drawn there by magnetic force. Fai began to sob again as he lowered himself to the ground beside the body. He draped Kurogane's broken, battered arm across his waist, nuzzling his face into a small, relatively uninjured place on the mortally wounded chest, hardly noticing as Kurogane's blood soaked his clothing. The first time he was allowed to be held by his lover was that morning as he curled up against Kurogane's dead body._

Kurogane shifted Fai's warm, trembling frame in his arms as they entered his property. Fai had been completely silent on the way home, to the point where Kurogane would have thought he was asleep had he not known how distressed Fai was. He stroked Fai's flaxen hair beneath the hood of his cloak in an absentminded attempt to soothe the elf. It was still damp with sweat. The farmer carried his charge over to the well so that he could draw some water for him.

"You wanna wait inside for me to finish up?" he asked as Fai rinsed his mouth.

Fai shook his head firmly. "I… I really think it would be worse if I just sit around and do nothing…" He gave Kurogane the barest hint of a smile. "I might go a little bit crazy."

Kurogane tilted his head back slightly, surveying the blond thoughtfully. "What, you trying to say you wanna help me with work, then?"

"If you'll have me," Fai replied, looking up at him with such weariness and turmoil in his royal blue eyes that it tugged ferociously at Kurogane's heartstrings. "Kurorinta has done so much for me and I've just… been completely useless… I've done nothing but cause Kuromin pain and trouble…"

"Hey, I thought I told you to shut up about that crap," Kurogane interrupted with a mix of impatience and embarrassment. "If I didn't want you here, I would've tossed you out a long time ago."

Fai let his eyes slip closed and shook his head again, trying desperately to block out Kurogane's attempt at comforting words. He could not allow his decision to be swayed. "This will be my …p-parting gift to you…f-for all you've done for me. I know it's not m-much, but… I think it's about all I c-can do."

A brief silence followed Fai's declaration. Kurogane felt anger and frustration surging up inside of him as those words escaped Fai's lips. He sucked air in through clenched teeth, trying to reign in his temper. "Parting gift, huh? So that's it then? You think you can just fuck things up and then run away from the mess you've made? Is that an elf thing or is it your own shitty idea?"

Fai sighed and lowered his head into his hands. "I can't stay here, I… It's not safe. People are _dying_, Kurogane. Would you rather I stay here and let more be killed because of me?"

Kurogane was too agitated to be shocked by the fact that Fai was calling him by his actual name. "So you think you'll go somewhere else and the problem will be solved?!" he asked harshly. "Has it even occurred to you that this bastard might follow you, no matter where you go?! If you think that leaving is going to help anything, you're even—"

"I'm ready to pay with my own blood for what I've done," Fai cut in. "I _know_ I can't escape him. I _know_ he'll follow me. He's already proven that. That's why I've decided that the only way this might come to an end is for me to die. If that's what it takes for me to be able to save you this time, then that's what I'll do."

It took every ounce of Kurogane's willpower not to punch that damn elf right in the nose. He stood there for a moment, chest heaving, clenching his fists so hard that his nails left deep grooves in his palms, his shoulders hunched as he shook with suppressed fury. In spite of his efforts to control himself, his rage bubbled over in a great tidal wave and he clipped the elf over the head with his fist.

"K-Kurosama…!"

He grabbed Fai forcefully by the front of his cloak, jerking him off his feet.

"Listen, you stupid bastard!" he snarled. "I'm not some fucking damsel in distress! I don't need saving! You trying to say you're doing this for me?! If you gave two shits about what I think, you'd shut your damn mouth and listen to what I've been trying to tell you from the beginning!"

Fai stared at him, his eyes wide and round with shock. He certainly hadn't been expecting such a violent opposition to his proposal. As kind as Kurogane had been to him in his own strange, gruff way, Fai had kind of expected him to accept his decision and let him go. Why on earth was Kurogane fighting him so hard?

"If you thought you could just vanish after dragging me into this, well… you're too damn late," Kurogane growled. "I'm involved now, and I refuse to let either one of us just roll over and die. I didn't spend all that freaking effort bringing you back from the brink of death so that you could nobly toss yourself off a fucking cliff 'for the good of humanity' or however the hell you're trying to justify this bullshit."

He set Fai roughly back on his feet and turned away. "Whatever this thing is, we're gonna face it together. I've already lost too much," he mumbled. "Like hell I'm giving you up, too."

Fai was so stunned to see Kurogane's ears and the back of his neck reddening that he couldn't even stammer stupidly in response. The farmer cleared his throat brusquely and scratched awkwardly at his flushed nape.

"So, you gonna help with work or what?"

* * *

_Kyle was not pleased when he entered the cell later that morning to find Fai curled up in Kurogane's mangled arms, staring blankly at the högfolk man's chest. He made a little noise of distain as he unlocked the cell and let himself into the enclosure. Fai was too exhausted and depressed to even lift his head when Kyle entered._

"_Really, 200, this is completely ridiculous," the dark elf sneered. "I've given you three whole hours to grieve. You should be done by now."_

_Fai said nothing, not even acknowledging Kyle's presence. The sound of the dark elf's voice made him sick; he didn't want to see or hear him ever again. All he wanted was for Kyle to leave him alone so that he could die of his broken heart in peace. It seemed, however, that Kyle had other plans for he kicked Kurogane's arms aside and jerked Fai to his feet by his ponytail._

"_Oh, look at you, 200," he chided. "You're a mess. Is this any way for you to greet your new lover?"_

_Kyle purred a body binding spell in Fai's ear, locking him in place so that he could lick the blood from Fai's cheeks without having to worry about resistance. Fai squeezed his eyes shut, revulsion and anger welling up inside him, searching in vain for an outlet. Eventually, licking gave way to nipping and kissing so rough that it left angry little red marks on Fai's ivory skin. The blond could feel the bile rising in his throat, his already shattered spirit moaning in sheer misery and hopelessness. He couldn't even grit his teeth against the pain when Kyle began running his fingers up and down the raw wounds left by last night's whip of punishment._

"_It may interest you to know, 200, that I have purchased you from my uncle," Kyle breathed into the crook of Fai's neck. "From now on, you are legally mine in body and soul."_

_Fai was so frustrated, depressed and humiliated that he couldn't even bring himself to be more horrified by this statement. _

"_Now that you're mine, I think it's only fitting that I begin calling you by your name," Kyle continued. "I wouldn't dream of doing it with my other slaves, but you're special…Fai. Just think of what we can do together now that I own you."_

_He grinned evilly as the sound of Fai's name coming from his mouth made the slave shudder. He brought one hand to Fai's soft, supple cheek and kissed his lips, his other hand wandering elsewhere. Kyle laughed coldly as he pulled his mouth away, his glittering black eyes meeting Fai's deep blue ones. _

"_You really thought you would get to do this with 316 last night, didn't you? I'm so glad I put a stop to that; that thing didn't deserve you. It was filthy, worthless, ugly, a complete waste of skin…Your beauty is fit only for a king."_

_A strangled sob of agony and helplessness fought its way from Fai's throat, prompting Kyle to laugh and kiss his lips again. "This brings me to my next bit of news, Fai. This may shock you; are you ready?"_

_Whatever Kyle had to say, Fai was sure he didn't want to hear it but he could do nothing to block out what the dark elf was saying._

"_I am going to overthrow my uncle and take my rightful place on the throne," he hissed into Fai's ear._

_The blond said nothing in response to this revelation, both because he was physically incapable and because he really didn't feel the need to reply. It wasn't like he had any loyalty whatsoever toward Fei Wang, and he was sure that being under Kyle's rule couldn't possibly be much worse. After all, Fei Wang had already destroyed his mother and Kyle destroyed the love of his life. He really had no reason to carry on; in fact, death would be welcome at this point._

"_That old bastard thought he could rob me of my reign," Kyle snarled, digging his fingers painfully into the wounds on Fai's back in his anger. "He thought that sending me to the human world as a changeling would ensure his place as king for the rest of his putrid, pathetic life."_

_The dark elf let out a harsh bark of humorless laughter. "How wrong he was… My father told me how it happened, how _he_ had been selected by his own father, the previous king, to take the throne as his favorite son. But my father thought that ruling the kingdom would be too much of a bother so he allowed his older brother to take his place and agreed to send his own son to the human world to avoid a power struggle when I became old enough to be king…My uncle thinks I have no idea what took place, and I wouldn't if my father hadn't betrayed him by bringing me back to Svartalfheim and telling me everything."_

_He pulled away from Fai slightly so that he could look the still-frozen slave in the eye._

"_The battle will be difficult, not to mention dangerous," Kyle continued smoothly. "Many slaves and civilians will most likely die."_

_He ran his fingers through Fai's bloodied golden hair with a twisted semblance of affection. "I won't risk you being killed in the takeover. That's why I'm sending you to the human world; you will be a changeling, just as I was. Once I have succeeded in securing my place as king, I will return to the human world to collect you."_

_Fai's brain analyzed this proposal sluggishly. So basically what Kyle was telling him was that there would be an indefinite period of time in which Fai would not be under Kyle's stiflingly close watch. During this time, he would be living with a human, posing as a human child. Fai had heard stories of what humans did to changelings if they were discovered. Perhaps if he deliberately revealed himself to his human parents, they would put him out of his misery and spare him a life with Kyle._

"_Who knows how long this power struggle may last? It could be years before we see each other again," Kyle sighed as if just thinking about the plan he had made was taxing to him. Then a terrible grin spread slowly across his deceptively fair features. "But who's to say we can't enjoy ourselves a bit before your departure?" His hand strayed again from Fai's back which was bleeding once more after Kyle's nails had disturbed the newly forming scabs. "And we will certainly enjoy our reunion, won't we, Fai?"_

_Somehow, Fai doubted that very much._

* * *

By the time he and Fai had finished cleaning and putting away all the tools he had used during blood month, Kurogane's eyes were burning rather badly with tiredness. He plopped down on a wooden crate in the shed they had just finished straightening and rubbed his eyes irritably for what felt like the thousandth time that afternoon. The skin around them was starting to get a bit sore from the constant bothering. They were probably turning red, too.

He sighed, wishing that this was a normal night where he could just finish his work and collapse into bed afterward. The thought of starting a warm fire in the grate and then crawling under the covers with Fai curled up and already half asleep in his arms was disturbingly tantalizing. But the chances of him being allowed to sleep that night with that dark elf prowling around were slim. He needed to confront the creature and kill it right away before it harmed anyone else. Kurogane knew that elves were far stronger than humans, and though he fancied himself a pretty skilled fighter, he was aware that he had a clear disadvantage due to his inability to use magic. How in the world was he supposed to beat this thing when he could hardly keep his burning eyes open?

Kurogane didn't notice Fai watching him until the blond quietly approached him and cupped his cheek sympathetically.

"Poor Kurochuu," he breathed, running his thumb lightly across Kurogane's cheek. "Your eyes are burning, huh? You look like you could use a nice long nap."

Kurogane scoffed and blushed, but he couldn't deny that the feeling of Fai's warm hand against his chilled cheek was pleasant. "I think we both know there's no way that's happening. Not when we've gotta deal with that dark elf bastard as soon as possible."

Fai averted his eyes guiltily as he opened his mouth to apologize yet again. Luckily, he remembered just in time that his apologies annoyed Kurogane and bit his lip, stopping himself from uttering the words. Kurogane's calloused fingertips grazed his ever so lightly, prompting Fai to glance up and meet his gaze once more. Kurogane's breath caught slightly in his chest when he saw Fai's thoroughly vulnerable expression. It was so much like the one he had worn earlier in the yard before Kurogane had shouted at him, weary and in pain and looking like he was trying his damnedest not to cry because he knew that Kurogane would hate that.

Although the blond had stopped his lips from forming the words of an apology, his expressive blue eyes apologized so profusely that anyone less tough than Kurogane probably would have been brokenhearted at the sight of them. Even Kurogane, despite his usual immunity to such things, felt a painful twinge in his chest. He reached up and awkwardly ruffled Fai's hair again, trying to offer the elf a bit of comfort.

"I don't suppose there's any way I might be able to talk you out of this, is there?" Fai asked, a quiet desperation in his voice.

"Not a chance in hell," Kurogane replied unyieldingly. "I've been waiting years for the opportunity to beat the shit out of a dark elf. It's because of those assholes that…"

Fai waited, his sharp ears pricked in curiosity, but Kurogane just ground his teeth angrily for a moment before sighing and looking away. "Let's just say that I've got a score to settle with those bastards… Even if it's not the same one from back then, it doesn't matter. That won't make me enjoy killing it any less."

Fai was silent, briefly considering asking Kurogane why he hated dark elves so much. But Fai had yet to tell Kurogane his own story, which was a far more pressing matter at the moment considering the recent events, and the memory of Kurogane's dark elf encounter was clearly still painful for him, so Fai opted let it go. He sat down on Kurogane's knee and coaxed the farmer into resting his head on his shoulder. Kurogane complied hesitantly, hating the way he could feel his face reddening at Fai's gentle touch. Fai's slender, delicate fingers began to stroke his hair.

"Kuropipi…" he began slowly. "There's something I've been wondering about… How are we going to keep… keep _him_… from hurting anyone else? I mean, if I'm staying here, he'll know. This mark on my hand," Fai revealed the dark elf symbol that had been branded into his palm, "makes it so he can sense me when I'm anywhere near him. My magic is strong enough so that he can't tell exactly where I am, but black magic this powerful can't be completely overcome by a single being… So many have died already, and I…I can't stand the thought of causing any more death…"

Kurogane sighed. "Well, it looks like that bastard's doing this because he's pissed that he can't find you, right? If he knew where you were, he wouldn't waste time screwing around with other people."

Fai was silent for a moment. He had asked that question fully expecting this answer, but the thought of actually going through with it made him feel as though his blood had turned to ice. The only way to keep Kyle from killing more innocent people would be to remove his shielding spell, leaving him and Kurogane thoroughly open to attack. Fai knew that Kurogane was unusually strong for a human, but he was equally sure that he didn't stand a chance against Kyle, especially if they were going to let Kyle come to them, fully expecting a fight. The only way that he could see that it would be possible for Kurogane to win would be if he used the element of surprise. He tried to express his opinion to Kurogane but the farmer just shook his head.

"That would be fine if we had any idea where that asshole is, but we're just as much in the dark as he is," Kurogane pointed out. "Unless you can use your magic to track _him_."

Fai bit his lip nervously. "I…could try," he said doubtfully. "I'm sure he's thought of it, though. He'll have a counter spell in place… I guess I have to take down the shielding spell first, huh? It's taking everything I can do to make sure every inch of Kuropyon's farm is covered…"

Fai trailed off into silence, knowing that he had to remove the spell but finding it hard to force himself. He realized that it was impossible for Kyle to come after them while it was still daylight, but he couldn't quash the feeling that he might swoop down on them the second they revealed their position. Fai couldn't bear the thought of losing Kurogane a second time. Kurogane waited, watching him curiously.

"Did you do it?" the dark-haired man asked eventually.

Fai shuffled his feet guiltily and gave Kurogane a conflicted look. "…I don't want anything bad to happen to you or your house, Kurochii," he said weakly. "If I lost you, I'd…"

Kurogane reached out and rested his sturdy, confident hands on Fai's quaking shoulders. The elf threw his arms around his host, hugging him tightly, nuzzling his face into the crook of Kurogane's neck. Kurogane stiffened a bit at the unexpected reaction, but eventually gave in and returned the embrace awkwardly. His fingers found themselves drawn instantly to Fai's silken hair and began to slowly stroke it.

"I won't let anything happen," Kurogane promised huskily. "I already decided I would never lose anything to those dark elf bastards ever again and I've been training hard since that day to make sure I could keep that promise."

The blond drew a deep, shuddering breath and slowly, reluctantly, removed the magical shield.

"I did it," he breathed, clamping his eyes shut. His head was swimming after having suddenly released the strong spell that he had been keeping up for so long. "The barrier is gone…"

Kurogane said nothing, sensing that what Fai needed most to calm him now were not words but firm, reassuring contact. Fai's hands fisted shakily in the farmer's cloak, as though he expected Kurogane to drop dead if he released his grasp. Kurogane could feel the beautiful elf trembling uncontrollably and had the feeling that his embrace was the only thing keeping Fai on his feet. He couldn't let go, even if he wanted to, he told himself. Fai would fall and probably hurt himself.

But deep in his heart, he knew that he had absolutely no desire to let go. If he could hold Fai this way forever, he could die happy. The thought of kissing the elf's smooth, rosy lips sent a shiver of desire through Kurogane's body and he could feel his cheeks heating up again. This feeling of wanting to stay with someone, of wanting to know everything about them because he wanted to share his life with them for eternity was such a foreign feeling to him. He could honestly say he had never desired it before in his life. Why now? Why so suddenly? Was he going insane?

It was a long time before Fai slowly pulled away from him, wearing just a tiny hint of his old smile. "I guess since I'm not using all my magic for the shield anymore, I can do a soothing spell on Kurokuro's poor, burning eyes, huh? Is that ok, Kuromyuu?"

Kurogane cleared his throat and blushed at the sound of Fai's voice pulling him out of his odd daze. He hoped with every particle of his being that what he had just been thinking about wasn't written all over his face for Fai to see. "Fine," he mumbled.

"You'll have to close your eyes, ok?" Fai instructed quietly. "I need to touch them in order to perform the spell."

Kurogane narrowed his burning eyes suspiciously before letting them slide closed. Fai's warm, soft hands came up to cup his cheeks. The contact made him shiver slightly, a mix of uncertainty and a numb sort of contentment shooting through him. He didn't realize what was going to happen until he felt Fai's breath on his forehead. Kurogane started slightly when perfect, silken elfin lips kissed his eyelids ever so gently.

Although his eyes were technically still closed, the moment when Fai's lips touched his skin was the moment that Kurogane's eyes were opened, so to speak, to a blinding realization. The reason he felt this way, the reason he hated to see Fai in pain, the reason he could hardly stand the thought of being separated from him, the reason his heart pounded and his face went red when Fai smiled at him or touched him…It was so clear. How could he ever have been confused about it? After all, he had never shown signs of mental instability before. Besides insanity, there was only one possible reason for him to feel the way he was feeling right now. He was in love with Fai.

This realization was so sudden and humiliating and unbelievable that it made Kurogane feel a bit lightheaded. How could he have done something as stupid and weak as falling in love? And with an _elf_, no less. Such was his preoccupation that he hardly even realized that Fai's spell had allowed his eyes to finally stop burning. Fai hesitated, waiting for Kurogane's eyes to flutter open, the farmer's face to redden and his mouth to cuss him out for doing something like that without warning him first, but it never happened. Actually, Kurogane's face _was_ quite red, but other than that he received no reaction for his slightly unorthodox method of pain relief.

Slowly and just as gently as the first time, the elf kissed his eyelids again. Kurogane's skin was sweet and warm beneath his lips and oh, how he craved the taste of Kurogane's mouth. Words could not express the intensity of his longing to kiss him properly… But Kurogane had not given him permission to go there. He was only submitting himself to these kisses because he was hurting and they would heal him; there were no special feelings behind it. Kurogane may have said that he didn't want to lose him and that he didn't mind having him around, but that didn't mean that Kurogane was in love with him. Kissing his lips would be overstepping his boundaries. Fai was sure that he was only spared the expected verbal lashing because Kurogane was so sleepy. If he was at the top of his game, this would surely never be allowed. The elf sighed and pulled away.

"Did that help, Kuronpyu?" he asked softly. The farmer swallowed thickly.

"…Hn," Kurogane grunted, hardly trusting himself to say much more on the matter beyond that without sounding like a total lovesick schoolgirl. He cleared his throat and stood up, brushing off his pants. "Come on, then. You still have to try to track that damn dark elf, and the candles have to be made before dark."

The elf sighed and nodded. Kurogane led Fai out of the shed and towards the house.

* * *

"Master!" Chisei shouted, hurrying into the windowless back room of the tailor shop which now acted as their base of operations. "Master, your ward…!"

"I know," Kyle snarled. "He just revealed his position. Damn it all, why did he have to do it now?! Of all the times that damned slave could have chosen to grow a backbone, why did it have to be now?!"

"…Master?" Chisei said, eyeing Kyle uncertainly. "I thought you would be happy…"

"I've just received word of an uprising in my kingdom," Kyle spat. "It seems that word of my absence leaked out and some vigilantes thought they could take advantage of it to make their attempt to seize the throne. I have to go back and squash it as quickly as possible or everything I've done to keep Fai safe during my takeover will have been for nothing."

Kyle's eyes narrowed. "…He just tried to ping us (2). For him to do that right after revealing his location… he must be planning something. Somehow, he must think he's ready to face me. He must think he's got a trump card to play."

"Is it not possible that he's giving up?" Chisei suggested.

Kyle shook his head. "Unlikely. He has never accepted my advances willingly in the past, and I see no reason for him to do so now. Besides, he always did have an unusual amount of fight in him for a slave. My dear foolish Fai is up to something naughty, I'm afraid."

The dark elf sighed discontentedly, rubbing his temples as if to ward off a headache. "Now is not the time to dwell on that. We need to get back to Svartalfheim and stamp out this little uprising before it gets out of hand. Come, Chisei."

* * *

Fai's eyes snapped open and he gasped. Kurogane immediately grabbed him by the forearms.

"What?!" he demanded. "Did you find him?!"

"He…he's gone," Fai answered, looking up at Kurogane with utter confusion written all over his face. "I could feel him really close and then he suddenly just disappeared."

"What do you mean, he disappeared?" Kurogane growled. "You think he was killed or something?"

"No, it's not like that," Fai said slowly. "It's… it's almost like he left the human world and went back to Svartalfheim."

"Maybe the bastard's trying to throw you off," the farmer suggested. "He'll probably be back tonight once it's dark out."

"Well… that's possible, but I don't think so," Fai mused. "There was another dark presence with him, but it wasn't an elf. Actually, it felt human."

"The rumors I heard said he was with a human," Kurogane confirmed. "That's probably who it was."

"Mm, traveling between worlds takes quite a bit of energy, especially if you're transporting more than just yourself. A human could never generate enough power to make the hop, so he must have had to transport both of them," Fai explained. "He probably wouldn't do it unless he had a good reason, right?"

Kurogane stared at him uncertainly. "So you're trying to tell me you think we're safe?"

"It seems that way, at least for now," Fai replied with a weak smile. "Maybe I'll have a little more time with Kuropiko after all, huh?"

"Hmph, you're too soft," Kurogane huffed. "This reeks of a trap. If you ask me, that asshole's trying to lead us into a false sense of security."

Fai looked at him wearily. "What do you suggest, then, Kuronpyu?"

Kurogane mulled this over for a moment, trying to decide on the best course of action. What could they do, really? After all, they had no idea when or where they would be attacked. And it wasn't like Kurogane had access to troops he could mobilize or weapons he could stockpile. He was one man with an old family heirloom of a sword and an elf whose magical abilities he could only guess at. As far as he could see, there really wasn't much they could do aside from being vigilant.

"…Just keep your tracking spell up," he answered unhappily. "That's all we can do for now."

Fai dropped into a chair and sighed, lowering his face into his hands as Kurogane set about getting out the things they would need to make candles. He hated this. He hated having Kyle's attack looming inevitably in the near future but not knowing when to expect it. He hated that he was making so much trouble for Kurogane. He hated knowing that when Kyle did finally make his appearance, he and Kurogane would not walk away from the battle unscathed. In fact, the chances were fairly high that neither one of them would walk away from the battle at all.

Fai's light magic should be able to more than hold its own against Kyle's dark magic, provided that their fight took place in the human world, but it was a well-known fact that light magic was stronger than dark everywhere except in Svartalfheim. He couldn't see Kyle overlooking such an obvious detail. If he dragged them both back to Svartalfheim, they would be in big trouble. The cap that had restrained Fai's magic as a slave would be back in place and he had no experience in hand-to-hand combat. He would be mostly useless in that fight. Fai started violently when he felt a large, warm hand rest itself on his shoulder.

"You wanna sit out on candle-making?" Kurogane asked with uncharacteristic gentleness.

Fai shook his head. "I really like artistic things like this, so… maybe it will help calm me down a little, hmm?"

Kurogane shrugged. "I wouldn't really call this artistic. All we're doing is dipping a string in some wax. A monkey could do it."

The elf gave him a small smile, mildly amused as he envisioned a grumpy little Kuro-monkey dipping candles in the middle of a forest. "Well, that's no fun. Why don't I show you how elves make candles? It's a lot more interesting, I think, and they're so pretty when they're done."

"I don't care," Kurogane said. "A candle's a candle, no matter how you make it. It'll have to be bee's wax, though. That's all I've got."

"That'll be fine," Fai nodded, his heavy heart lightening just a little at the prospect of having something to take his mind off his troubles, however briefly. "Kurowanwan can take care of melting the wax; I'll get everything else, ok?"

"Hn," Kurogane agreed, heading over to the hearth to begin building the fire.

* * *

Kurogane's eyes roved over the expanse of items before him, his stomach sinking a little. When he made candles his way, he found the process fairly tedious and boring, not to mention time consuming. Fai's way looked like it was going to be even more involved and would take even more time. Spread out on the table were six pots of melted wax of numerous bright colors, courtesy of Fai's magic, along with a bucket of cold water.

Kurogane knew enough about how wax worked to know that if they just dipped the string into the colors one after another, they were going to get something brown and ugly. He foresaw that they would have to wait for each layer of colored wax to harden before moving on to the next. God, this was going to take forever! What had he been thinking, agreeing to do this the "artistic" way? Fai, however, certainly seemed to be looking forward to the process; he was already looking happier than he had all day. Kurogane knew that he couldn't change his mind about this now, not when it was soothing Fai's frayed nerves so effectively.

"How long is this gonna take?" Kurogane asked dubiously, dreading the answer.

"Oh, don't worry, Kurowanko, it won't take as long as you think," Fai assured him. "Besides, we don't have to do every single one in a whole bunch of different colors. We can do most of them the normal way and just make one really pretty one."

"Hmph," Kurogane sighed as he grabbed one of the strings which would act as a wick. "Shoulda known better than to let you talk me into this."

"Let's do our pretty one first, ok?" Fai requested. "We can make it together."

The elf gave him a sweet little smile as he said that and Kurogane couldn't help flushing a little at the sight of it.

"Whatever," he grumbled. "Let's just get this over with."

Fai's breathtaking smile remained as he took his seat right next to Kurogane, so close that the farmer could feel his body heat. With Fai a mere inch from him, Kurogane was overcome with the desire to pull the blond into his lap so that he could hold and kiss him. What wouldn't he give to leave the candle-making up to the elf while he enjoyed the warmth and presence in his arms of the one he loved? Kurogane restrained himself with difficulty and tried to focus on what Fai was now saying to him.

"Hmm, Kurorinta doesn't have everything we need for this so I think we'll have to cheat a little and use magic," he mused. "You don't mind, do you, Kuromun?"

"If it'll make the damn thing go any faster," he groused. "Why don't you just use magic to make them all so we can have it over with?"

"Don't be such a sourpuss, Kuromin," Fai scolded lightly. "You're supposed to be having fun."

Kurogane snorted doubtfully but watched with mild interest as Fai muttered a spell and a ball of white wax floated into the air and began to mold itself into an elongated star-shape. The elf plucked it from the air and handed it to Kurogane who examined it curiously. The wax had already hardened, leaving a perfectly acceptable and well-formed candle. Kurogane would have been perfectly happy with just setting it aside and using it as it was but it seemed that Fai had other plans.

"Now you can start dipping it, ok?" he prompted. "You're going to dip it into the clear, and then in one of the colored ones, and finish by dipping it into the water. Then you start all over with a different color so that you get these really pretty colored layers."

"Still sounds like a waste of time to me," Kurogane griped, though he followed the elf's instructions.

Fai watched him for a moment before making an odd little chirruping noise, a mix of amusement and disapproval. "Silly Kuropyon, you're dipping it wrong."

"What the hell do you mean?" he growled, already a bit frustrated. "If there's a special way you want it done, then mention it ahead of time, dumb ass!"

Fai laughed quietly. "Here, let me help you."

He went around behind his host, draping himself languidly over Kurogane's shoulder like a boneless cat and took Kurogane's hands between his own so that he could guide his movements. Kurogane's face reddened at the contact, but he said nothing. Fai's soft, delicate fingers clasped around his hands, showing him how to properly dip the candle, and their cheeks brushed lightly, causing Kurogane's to heat up even further. Was Fai doing this on purpose to be a tease? Images of himself tackling Fai to the ground and kissing him roughly and passionately flashed across his mind, drawing a shiver from him. If he didn't divert his attention elsewhere, he was going to lose control of himself.

He watched as Fai helped him dunk the star-shaped core into the hot colored wax. Personally, he didn't see anything different about the way Fai was showing him and what he had been doing himself, but he wasn't about to complain. Besides that, Fai's warm weight and closeness was making him pleasantly drowsy. He and Fai worked in companionable silence for a long while until the elf spoke suddenly.

"That's enough layers, I think."

Kurogane, who was already rather tired from having stayed out with Fai the previous night, had sunk into sort of a sleepy stupor during their rhythmic, repetitive work. He started a little at the sound of Fai's voice. Fai seemed to realize what had happened because he giggled softly and said "Sorry, were you starting to fall asleep, Kurochii?"

"Don't be stupid," Kurogane mumbled groggily, trying to sound more awake than he really was, though even he could tell that his attempt had failed. God, was he tired.

The blond smiled fondly. "We're almost done, Kurochan, I promise. Afterwards, I'll get started on dinner so you can take a nap, ok?"

"'M not a little kid, you bastard," Kurogane growled, though his voice had lost its normal venom in his lethargy.

"I know, I know," Fai assured him amusedly. "Kurochin's a big boy. Now let's finish our candle, before the wax cools too much, ok?"

Kurogane grumbled under his breath, something about Fai being an asshole, though the blond didn't seem to take offense at all. Instead he headed over to the kitchen.

"We need a little knife for this next part," he informed the farmer. "Do you have one, Kuronpyu?"

"Hanging on the wall there," Kurogane replied, gesturing to Fai's right. The elf retrieved the knife and returned to Kurogane's side.

"See all this drippy stuff?" Fai asked, pointing out the wax stalactites that had formed during the dipping process. "We can cut it off and make it into its own candle. Watch."

Fai sliced off the excess wax and began to mold the still-soft material in his hands, forming it easily into a mushroom shape. "Isn't it cute?" he chirped.

Kurogane had to admit that it did look pretty interesting. The colored layers had been squashed and stretched during the molding process so that the candle had dots and streaks of brighter colors on top. Fai tossed it into the bucket of cool water to harden and turned his attention to their larger candle.

"This is where it really starts to look cool," Fai said gleefully, glancing over at Kurogane with obvious excitement in his eyes. "You ready for this, Kuropun?"

Kurogane rolled his eyes in exasperation at how easily amused Fai was, but couldn't help finding his excitement slightly endearing. It reminded him of how Fai had been when he had first taken him to see the farm animals. The elf partially shaved off a sliver of warm, pliable wax at each point of the star shape and curled the slices sideways, creating a 3D ribbon effect. Kurogane watched in fascination as Fai's fingers worked deftly and quickly, curling several layers of wax in different directions, the candle growing more elaborate and beautiful with each layer of curled wax he created. Once he was satisfied with the number of curls, he began to slice flower and bird shapes into the top portion, cutting deep so that the multicolored layers were exposed. Fai stepped back from the finished product and grinned at Kurogane.

"What do you think, Kuromyuu?" he asked eagerly. "Here, let's light it and put out the fire in the fireplace so we can see how it looks in the dark."

Kurogane moved over to the fireplace to put out the flames while Fai lit their candle. The farmer moved back over to the table to examine their handy work in amazement. He hated to admit it, especially after having complained about what a waste of time it was to attempt candle-making the elf way, but the candle had turned out absolutely gorgeous. Dancing firelight showed through the thinned walls of wax in the places where Fai had cut designs, bathing the two of them in a warm, flickering glow.

"Hey, Kurotan…" Fai began softly as the two of them stared at the finished candle. "What did you mean earlier when you said you didn't want to lose me?"

Kurogane blushed, glad for the darkness that hid the flush from Fai's view. Why did Fai have to ruin the amiable quiet with such a pointless, annoying question? And how could he answer without either lying or making a fool of himself? He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"There's nothing tough to figure out about what I said," Kurogane grunted. "I don't want to lose you, that's all."

"Well…" Fai poised a slender finger on his lip thoughtfully, "I guess what I meant to ask was 'why did you say it?'"

"I already answered that, too," Kurogane replied with an air of impatience, thought he didn't meet the blond's inquiring sapphire eyes. He could feel his face growing hotter under that gaze. "… Ever since I was pretty young, there's been no one but me. With you here… well, I was just starting to get used to having someone else around."

Whatever answer Fai had been expecting or hoping to hear, that clearly wasn't it. The elf deflated at Kurogane's words, the fragile hope that had been burning quietly in his eyes quickly snuffed out and he bowed his head in disappointment.

"I see…" Fai mumbled. "So you just wanted to have someone else around, huh?"

Kurogane realized that his words had come out wrong. Fai thought he meant that he was so desperate for company that he would take anyone. That wasn't what he meant to say at all, in fact, nothing could be farther from the truth. He didn't want anyone _but_ Fai. Before he could begin to correct Fai's misconception, the elf lifted his head once more to give Kurogane the most heartbreaking smile he had ever seen.

"Sorry for putting you on the spot like that, Kurosama," he said, his voice wavering slightly with the pain he wasn't quite able to suppress completely. "It's just that… Kurorin has become someone special to me so I… I just wondered if maybe I was special to you, too. I guess that was kind of silly, huh?"

Kurogane sighed and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Look, that's not what I meant, so would you cut it out with that face already?"

Fai's smile became, if possible, even more strained. "I'm sorry, Kurorun. I don't know what other face to make."

The farmer reached out hesitantly and touched Fai's cheek. It was so warm and satiny under his fingers, so perfect and smooth, that he couldn't make himself draw his hand back. He cupped Fai's cheek and stroked the soft skin gently with his calloused thumb. Fai opened his eyes, meeting Kurogane's gaze questioningly, a tiny gleam of hope flickering back to life in those deep royal blue pools once again. The dancing flame from the candle caught Fai's eyes so that they sparkled even more enchantingly than his wax creation.

"I didn't mean that I don't care if it's you or not," Kurogane clarified after a brief internal struggle with his crumbling pride.

Fai waited patiently, his hand coming up to rest on the one Kurogane was using to stroke his cheek.

"Damn it… I'm no good at this kind of thing," the dark-haired man sighed, his face flushing deeply. "Alright, listen, 'cause I sure as hell am not gonna say this again…I lo-"

Kurogane's words were interrupted by a knock on the door. The two men traded glances of frustration and surprise. Of all the times for someone to knock… what awful timing. Kurogane snarled in a rather dog-like manner and stomped over to the door, ripping it open. When he saw his two young farmhands standing there, looking up at him anxiously, his expression softened. It didn't even occur to him at that moment how strange the scene might have looked to Syaoran and Watanuki's eyes. After all, he and Fai had been shut up together in the pitch-dark house with only a decorative candle to provide light. Fortunately for him, the boys were too anxious to even wonder about what might have been going on in there.

"What is it?" Kurogane asked.

"We finished cleaning out the stables…" Watanuki said uneasily.

"But…?" the farmer prompted, knowing that there was more to the story.

"Um… Well, Ginryuu freaked out all of a sudden and when we went to see what was wrong, ah…" the bespectacled boy trailed off, clearly not looking forward to breaking the news.

Kurogane's brows knitted together in concern for his beloved old horse. "Is he hurt?"

"The wound wasn't bad, but…It was elf shot," Syaoran admitted. He held a small piece of parchment out to his employer. "We found this pinned on the arrow. We can't read it, but we thought maybe…"

He glanced guiltily (accusingly?) at Fai before quickly averting his gaze. Kurogane looked between Fai and Syaoran with a frown before accepting the paper that was being offered to him. The parchment was covered in a neat scrawl of shining black letters, though he didn't recognize the characters. Clearly it was written in some foreign language. He didn't have to be able to read the message, however, to get an idea as to what was going on. Kurogane sighed and ran a hand backwards through his hair.

"Alright, well… You two can go," he said to Syaoran and Watanuki. "The last thing I need is for you two to get mixed up in all this."

The boys traded anxious glances before looking concernedly at their boss. But before they could say anything, Kurogane closed the door in their faces. He turned to Fai and offered him the parchment.

"What's it say?" he asked.

Fai took the note with trembling hands and scanned it with wide eyes. "Fai, I'm coming for you tomorrow and you will accompany me back to Svartalfheim. You can't save your human filth and you can't save yourself; your only option is surrender. Rest assured that you will be punished thoroughly for your disobedience. Master Kyle."

Even after he had finished reading, Fai could do nothing but stare at the note in horror. Tomorrow. Kyle was coming _tomorrow_. For one fleeting moment, Fai considered raising his magical barrier again, but then realized that Kyle must already know where he was if he had known where to send his message. Suddenly all Kurogane's promises to stay at his side and protect him seemed so flimsy and meaningless. Of course Kurogane could never hope to beat Kyle's magic when he himself had nothing but a sword. What had he been thinking, taking down the barrier? Kurogane was going to die again and it was completely his fault. Perhaps if he ran for it that night while the farmer was sleeping…

"You better not be thinking about running, you bastard," Kurogane growled perceptively.

Fai jumped at his accurate prediction and fixed him with that lost, terrified look again, the one that almost pained Kurogane to see. The farmer sighed and crossed his arms.

"It's time you told me your story," he said.

* * *

Fai ended up waiting until after dinner to spill his guts to Kurogane. He knew that telling his story would leave him drained and unable to cook anything for them and he had heard (to Kurogane's embarrassment) the dark-haired man's stomach growling hungrily. They _had_ skipped lunch, after all. Once all the dishes had been cleared away, the two of them sat down on the bed, side by side. Kurogane waited patiently for Fai to begin. The blond opened his mouth, but the words wouldn't come. He didn't want to relive all this, not when he had been working his whole life to repress the memories. Fai knew that by the time he was finished, he would no longer be able to hold back his tears, and Kurogane would hate that.

"Sorry, I…" Fai attempted a smile for his host, but knew that it came out looking strained and unnatural, "I guess I'm still kind of scared to talk about it… It kind of hurts just to think about what happened."

That, of course was a severe understatement. As the hideously twisted and painful memories flashed across his mind, Fai could feel his throat constricting and his eyes and nose prickling with the threat of tears. Kurogane looped his arm around Fai's shoulder hesitantly and pulled him close, letting him rest his cheek against his shoulder.

"Putting it off won't make it any easier," he advised. "Just go as slow as you have to."

Fai's eyes fluttered closed and he drew a deep shuddering breath. That didn't help his throat feel any less tight, and tears were no longer a threat, but a promise.

"S-sorry," he croaked again. "Kurochuu probably h-hates weak people, doesn't he? I…I haven't even s-started and already th-this is happening…"

Kurogane gave him what he hoped was a reassuring little squeeze. He found his companion's hand and took it gently. "Look, it's fine. If you need to cry, then go ahead and do it. You don't have to worry so much about what I think."

The elf swallowed hard, gripping Kurogane's hand. The warm, reassuring contact and Kurogane's gruff but encouraging words reassured him, loosening his constricted throat enough to allow speech.

"I guess it started with the dark elf invasion of Alfheim," Fai began wearily. "I was just a child at the time, living with my mother. Freya was her name. She—"

"Hold on," Kurogane interrupted. "…Did you just say that your mother's name was _Freya_?"

"Yes…" Fai confirmed slowly. "Well, her real name was Freya, though when the invasion happened she had to go into hiding and changed her name to Chii…Is there a problem?"

Kurogane fixed him with a disbelieving stare. Could it be? Surely…surely not. (3) "Freya, like Freyr's sister?"

"Mm, well I don't really remember Uncle Freyr because I was pretty young when my mother left the palace, but yes, they were brother and sister," the blond informed him as if there was nothing extraordinary in the slightest about having the king of the light elves, a god to the human world, as an uncle. Having Freya for a mother was certainly no small matter either. But Fai was looking at him curiously, as if he hadn't the slightest idea why that itty-bitty detail might have caused Kurogane to stop him.

Kurogane shook his head in exasperation. "Ok, go on."

"Well, ah…" Fai shifted uncomfortably. "I'm… I'm afraid you're not going to like this, Kurosama…"

"I'll live," he grunted. "Just say it."

"Um… See, my… my mother committed a terrible sin…" The blond bit his lip fearfully, bowing his head as he braced himself for the outburst he was sure would follow his next admission. "She, ah… she fell in love with… with a dark elf and that's how she had me."

Fai paused, allowing Kurogane time to digest this statement. The farmer was silent for a moment.

"So you're half dark," Kurogane ground out eventually.

His hands curled into fists. In all honesty, Kurogane couldn't say that he was terribly surprised. He had suspected something of the sort ever since that day when Fai had become all stiff and sunburned from being exposed to sunlight. Even though Fai's confession didn't really surprise him, it still hurt. Those filthy, disgusting creatures who had torn his life apart, whom he had sworn to maim and kill at any cost… his first true love shared their blood.

"I'm sorry," Fai whispered with every ounce of sincerity he could muster. "I'm so sorry, Kurosama… You really hate dark elves, don't you?"

Kurogane remained silent, his face turned stubbornly away from Fai. The elf reached out hesitantly and touched Kurogane's hand. To his surprise, Kurogane didn't pull it away. Fai stroked the back of it in a wordless apology.

"Ever since my mother told me that I was half dark, I've always hated and feared that part of myself," Fai continued softly. "I've always done everything I could to suppress it, hoping that I could squash it, but I can always feel the dark magic there even if I don't use it… I'm sorry."

"Damn it, will you quit apologizing?" Kurogane growled. "It's not like you could pick your parents. As long as you don't act like one of those bastards, then it's fine. It's pointless to say you're sorry for something you couldn't help."

He paused for a heartbeat before taking Fai's hand again, a gruff reassurance that he didn't hold Fai's heritage against him. Fai breathed a sigh of relief. Kurogane had taken that much better than he had expected. He cuddled back up to the farmer's side.

"It's illegal in Alfheim for a light elf to have a relationship with a dark elf," Fai explained. "Dark elves can't fall in love, which means they don't have the ability to feel sympathy or compassion. The light elves don't want those traits to pollute their race, so anyone who disobeys the law is punished with a lifetime sentence in Nástrand (4)."

Kurogane considered this new information. What Fai was telling him was that he was the product of Freya, the goddess of love, and some anonymous dark elf, a creature who was genetically incapable of experiencing love. That struck him as being significant, though he wasn't exactly sure what it might mean. It also brought a question to his mind, one that meant something to him personally.

"Can you do it?" he asked.

Fai looked at him blankly. "Do what, Kuropyon?"

Kurogane scowled and blushed. "The love thing, obviously."

A small ghost of a smile tugged at Fai's lips. "For the longest time, I was so afraid that I couldn't. I was so busy worrying about it that I hardly noticed that I did experience love-like emotions, even if the romantic type of love didn't come until much later."

"…Hn," Kurogane replied noncommittally, secretly relieved.

Fai pressed on with his story, telling Kurogane how his mother, in an attempt to spare them a lifetime in Nástrand, had planned to send him to the human world as a changeling. She had been unable to follow through with her plan, however, because she had been interrupted by royal dark elf guards forcing their way into her home. The guards were under orders to gather all able-bodied light elves for use as slaves. Fai and his mother had been separated, sold off to different masters.

He skimmed through the account of the time he spent in slavery. Those years of his life had passed in a haze of beatings and oppression, becoming an unpleasant blur in his memory. It wasn't really important that Kurogane knew all the details of that period in his life. The really important events hadn't happened until quite a bit later. He was just about to begin his retelling of his meeting with högfolk Kurogane when he stopped, his throat becoming uncomfortably tight again. Kurogane glanced over at Fai curiously when the elf stopped speaking.

"S-sorry," Fai choked. "It's… Th-this part is… where it really s-starts to hurt…"

"You want some water or something?" Kurogane suggested. He knew that water wasn't going to ease Fai's pain, but he wasn't really sure what else to do for him. Damn it; why did he have to be so bad at comforting people?

"No, I-I'll be ok, I just…" Fai took a deep, shuddering breath and released it slowly. "J-just give me a second…"

Kurogane waited patiently, giving Fai's hand a little reassuring squeeze. Fai's beautiful blue eyes clamped shut as he continued to force himself to breathe deeply. After a moment, he began his story again, his voice more strained than ever by his constricted throat. Fai started to detail his fateful escape attempt.

"And that's when… I met y-you, Kurokuro," he croaked.

Kurogane frowned. "What the hell do you mean, you met me?"

"Well… it wasn't really you, but…" Fai sighed tiredly. "He was just l-like you…Ev-even down t-to the name and p-personality… Even now… if I cl-close my eyes and l-listen to your voice, I… I could swear it was h-him t-talking…"

Kurogane looked down at the quivering blond, torn between half-surprise and having half-suspicions that had been floating around his mind since the day Fai had first spoken to him confirmed. "You guys were… together, then, huh?" he theorized aloud.

Fai sniffled. "'Together' might be a little too… strong of a w-word, but… I… I did l-love him… Oh god, did I love him…"

Fai's declaration stirred strange feelings in the dark-haired man. On one hand, even hearing about a past love of Fai's hurt a little, but then again, the one that Fai had been in love with, at least according to the elf, had basically been Kurogane himself. Should he be jealous? Should he take comfort in it? Considering how similar Fai claimed the two of them were, perhaps the love Fai had felt for the other Kurogane could now be transferred to him. In honesty, Kurogane had no idea how he should feel about it. Before he could reach a decision, the elf took another deep, tremulous breath and plunged on with the story.

He told Kurogane of his secret, forbidden love with the farmer's högfolk counterpart, how they had to sneak around in order to see each other, always afraid to get too close in case a dark elf caught them. As he recounted the time he had spent with his first love, the incident in which Kyle had first caught them together, his witnessing of his mother's "death", half-formed pictures flashed through his mind's eye, whizzing by in a rush of anguish and heartache. These memories were sharper than the ones he had narrated for Kurogane earlier, not yet dulled by the passage of time. These were still fresh; the metaphorical wounds they had left on his heart were still sticky with metaphorical blood.

Fai had just reached the part of the story where he had confessed his love to högfolk Kurogane when the dark-haired man's hand came up and touched his face gently. Warm, calloused fingers swiped lightly beneath his eyes and came away wet. Kurogane was wiping away Fai's tears. Fai hadn't even noticed their steady journey down his cheeks. His words petered out and he sniffled, reddening slightly as he attempted to dry his eyes on his sleeve. The tears just kept coming. Kurogane's strong arms curled around him and lifted him easily into his lap, cuddling the trembling body against his chest.

Although his voice kept cracking humiliatingly, Fai didn't want to lose his momentum. He realized that if he stopped his story now, he would probably never find the strength to continue. The elf didn't give all the gory details of högfolk Kurogane's death, instead simply stating that he had been forced to watch his lover's slow, painful demise. He could feel himself on the verge of another breakdown at the excruciatingly recent memory, but knew that the final bit of the story was the most relevant part to Kurogane. Fai couldn't let himself go to pieces before he told it. Still, even exerting all his willpower and self-control, the ending came out in gasps, chokes and stammers.

By the time he had finished, Fai could no longer restrain his overflow of emotions. He buried his face in Kurogane's sturdy chest and sobbed, his attempts to bite his lip and muffle the noise making almost no difference. His tears weren't just for the Kurogane he had already lost, but also for this new Kurogane whom he was just starting to love and would certainly be ripped away from him tomorrow just as brutally as the first one had. The first time had shattered him. If it happened again, he was sure that he would become the same soulless, empty shell that his mother had become when her master had ripped out her earring.

Kurogane lied back on the bed, taking Fai down with him. Everything made sense to him now, and frankly, he couldn't blame Fai for bawling his eyes out. The farmer rubbed the elf's back soothingly, letting him cry. Even as he tried to calm Fai and thought over everything that the blond had told him, there was one thing from the very beginning of his tale that simply refused to leave him alone: Fai was the son of Freya, the goddess of love, and a dark elf, a creature who was genetically incapable of experiencing love. What would have happened if Fai's love for the other Kurogane had been realized? What would happen if Fai's love for anyone was realized? As silly as it sounded, even in his own head, Kurogane couldn't help thinking that this detail was important.

When Fai's tears finally dried, his throat felt sore and raw and his eyes stung. He knew he must look awful right about now. Bowing his head to keep Kurogane from seeing his disgraceful appearance, he pulled slowly away from his host with the intention of going out to the well to wash his face in cold water. Shyly, ashamed of his performance just now, Fai chanced a glance at Kurogane. To his surprise, Kurogane was fast asleep, apparently having lost his long battle with the fatigue that had been threatening to overcome him all day. A tired smile formed on Fai's lips as he brought his hand to the farmer's warm cheek and stroked it softly.

"Thank you for holding me and listening to my story, Kurochan," he whispered. "I feel a little bit better now."

Kurogane said nothing, too deep in his dreams to even hear what Fai was saying. Fai nuzzled against him once more, placing a small, gentle kiss on Kurogane's throat.

"I know you can't hear me know, Kurochuu, but I want to say this anyway before I lose my nerve, ok?" Fai continued quietly. "I just want to let you know that I love you, and it's not only because you remind me of the other Kuropii. As similar as you two are, this Kurotan is his own person, and even though I loved my other Kurotan very much, I still love the things about this Kurotan that are a little bit different."

Kurogane sighed in his sleep and wrapped his arms more securely around Fai's slender frame, drawing the body heat closer. Fai let his eyes flutter shut.

"Remember that, ok, Kuromyuu?" he breathed. "Remember that I love you for you, and not because you're like him."

With those important words out of the way, Fai allowed his exhaustion to claim him and drifted off to sleep, snuggled safely in Kurogane's arms.

* * *

**A/N: **As I was writing this chapter, I kept getting the strangest sense of déjà vu. Then I realized, "holy crap, is it just me or is this like an angstier repeat of that miniseries I did where they were princes together? It totally is. Fuuuuuuck…" Maybe my subconscious is trying to tell me something, like that I want to usurp some country's throne and live out the rest of my days as a tyrant queen. Pfft.

Oh, if you want to see the candle that Kurogane and Fai were making, check out this video (remove the spaces): http: //www. youtube. com/watch?v = k7OjRYQAm64 It's pretty short but I thougt it was really interesting.

(1)- Because I'm a name-meaning whore, I feel compelled to tell you that Kyle's name means "narrow and straight". Just a bit of useless trivia for you.

(2)- The source I learned this word from said that it was military slang so I don't know how many people are familiar with it. If you "ping" someone, it means you're using some sort of satellite to confirm their location.

(3)- Ah, Freya. As mentioned in the story, she is the sister to the god Freyr who is king of the light elves. She herself is the goddess of love, beauty and fertility and the main goddess in Norse mythology. It worked out so conveniently that Freya also happened to be the name of Chii's twin in Chobits and that Tsubasa mentioned that Fai's Chii was modeled after his mother. I love when things work out nice and neat, don't you?

(4)- About Nástrand…I'm no expert on Nordic mythology or anything, but it appears to be their version of hell. Prose Edda, an Icelandic collection of old Norse tales, describes it as such: On Nástrand [Strand of the Dead] is a great hall and evil, and its doors face to the north: it is all woven of serpent-backs like a wattle-house; and all the snake-heads turn into the house and blow venom, so that along the hall run rivers of venom; and they who have broken oaths, and murderers, wade those rivers, even as it says here:

I know a hall standing

far from the sun,

In Nástrand:

the doors to northward are turned;

Venom-drops fall

down from the roof-holes;

That hall is bordered

with backs of serpents.

There are doomed to wade

the weltering streams

Men that are mansworn,

and they that murderers are.


End file.
